The film “The Leisure Seeker” by Italian director Paolo Virzi tells the story of an elderly sick couple who embark on a road trip in their campervan to end their lives as they wish.
The years have passed, but the love that unites Ella (Helen Mirren) and John Spencer (Donald Sutherland) remains intact. One morning, determined to escape the hospitalization that awaits them, they hit the road in their old campervan and set course for Key West.
They then discover an America they no longer recognize… and reminisce about memories filled with passion and emotions.
Paolo Virzi does not hesitate to depict the decline of old age.
This dramatic comedy deals with aging and the end of life of an elderly couple who run away to end their lives on their own terms. The entire story is carried by a leading duo of actors.
With Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren, the director could hardly have made a better choice. He plays a former professor lost in his Alzheimer’s disease, and she plays a devoted wife consumed by cancer.
It took these two talents to bring lightness and hope to such a story.
By chaining tragic gags, melodrama, and domestic scenes, Paolo Virzi walks a tightrope but maintains his balance. As long as there is love, there is hope…
