Pun Salad

Why yes, we did watch two Jennifer Garner movies in a row. It wasn't on purpose though.

Al Pacino plays the titular Danny. He is a famous washed-up rock star, living on expensive booze and nose candy. He still sings his ancient hits for adoring crowds, though. He has a young, cheating, wife and a loyal manager (Christopher Plummer). As a birthday surprise, the latter gives him a long-lost letter from John Lennon, one that he was meant to receive decades ago.

After a bout of Lennonist introspection, Danny decides to upend his life, travelling cross-country to New Jersey, where he seeks to reunite with his long-lost bio-son (Bobby Cannavale), who has acquired a wife (yes, Jennifer Garner) and cute daughter (Giselle Eisenberg). Complication: his son despises him and has no desire for reconcilation.

Also, Danny charms the heck out of the staff of the local Hilton where he's staying, most notably the manager (Annette Bening, who I kept expecting to remove her glasses and let down her hair, but never did). In the meantime, he starts working on composing new material, as Lennon suggested long ago.

So Danny's looking (unsubtly) for redemption, both personal and professional. Will he succeed? After experiencing a devastating setback? If you have seen more than five movies of this type, you can probably guess.

This movie wouldn't work at all if not for the acting talent, especially Pacino giving Danny's character believable charisma. Still it (apparently) fizzled in its theatrical release.