Review: The Bucket List

At the heart of The Bucket List is the question of what would you do with your remaining time if you knew how long you had.  While I'm sure this film didn't exactly invent the concept of a bucket list - a  list of things to do before you "kick the bucket" or die - it will have certainly helped further popularise it.   There are now hundreds, if not thousands, of webpages describing the perfect bucket list - which seems to rather miss the point.  There is something rather odd existential wise about having a bucket list when you are about to die as you have limited time to savour the memories. Perhaps it's better to start when you are young.

The film itself brings two heavyweights, Freeman and Nicholson together as two men, one rich and the other not so much,  who both have terminal cancer diagnosis.  They decide to go on a globe trotting road trip and tick off as many things as they can on their joint bucket list. It's a good pairing and while the story is a slight one, the script and performances are moving, thoughtful with the odd flash of gallows humour at times.

Verdict: A good pairing.