Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

I really liked this one. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be, well truthfully I didn't know much about it going in but I wasn't expecting a charming family story. Al Pacino is very likable as an aging rock star who discovers a 40 year old undelivered letter written to him by John Lennon. This inspires him to give up his hard living ways and reconnect with his estranged son. Apparently inspired by a real story about a folk singer (they may have taken some liberties here) as Al appears more like a lounge singer, throughout I got a kinda Neil Diamond vibe from him, his one hit song that he's sick of but keeps having to sing sounded a lot like Sweet Caroline... dun dun da. Anyways a very sweet movie, watching 'Danny" try to change his ways and charm his way into his sons life. Great cast, cute romance with Annette Bening as his hotel concerige /girlfriend, the fabulous Christopher Plummer as his frustrated manger and Bobby Cannavale as the estranged son.The precocious little girl (granddaughter) was a scene stealer.

This film is about an aging musician, who wants to change his life because of a letter sent to him by John Lennon himself; he stops drinking, starts composing new songs and tries to make peace with his son, whom he never met before. It is a sweet story filled with challenges, but each and every one of them are easily predictable. The story is filled with half-written, stereotypical characters, played by brilliant actors. It tries to focus on the story from a perspective with the cuts and the finale, that wants to strengthen the feeling that it is a heavy drama in front of our eyes. Unfortunately, because the plot is boring, the conflict is predictable and the artistic focus is affecting, the whole feels far-fetched, rather than great. Its only real strength is that it's absolutely not a bad film, but it was made for people who love common melodramas.

On the surface this looks to be story of an aging rock star attempting to make up for his failure as a father. While this may be the movie's plot in a nutshell, it really is much more. This is a relatable tale about the nature of responsibility and the satisfaction that comes from the simpler things in life. Many people dream of the perfect life, one where they followed their dreams, one in which they never needed to grow old, boring and frustrated by everyday hassles. Here we have Danny Collins, a man whose life has been one of constant hedonism, a man perpetually reliving his heyday. Yet we see a frustrated man, bored of performing the same routine day in and day out. Inspired by a belated message from his idol, he seeks out the life he neglected and the family he failed. Through His experience we see that maturity is something we all need to face while accepting we can't always stay young brings about new inspiration and a clearer sense of the things we really value. Of course no-one really wants to let go of their youth, some are fortunate enough that they can earn their living by doing so. Whatever your situation, finding the balance between staying young and growing up is always a challenge. Danny Collins's story may be an extreme example of this dilemma but there's a part of him we can all relate to in some way. The challenge of responsibility offers rewards far greater than the shallow pleasures of instant gratification. The good times don't stay good if you never move forward. Sometimes it's the simple things that mean the most.

Based on an unlikely but true story, Dan Fogelman's "Danny Collins" explores the paradox of the aging rock star. When rock'n'roll began in the mid 1950s, it was, in large part, a reaction against not just old people and all they stood for but the very concept of growing old itself. Rock was consciously and specifically an art form by and for the young - indeed, a celebration of youth itself. But as the rock stars themselves began to fall victim to the inexorable march of time, they found themselves looking more and more ridiculous, desperately trying to stay relevant in a youth-obsessed culture that had already moved on without them (the expression, "Never trust anyone over thirty," popularized in the hippie era, quickly fell out of fashion once the people uttering it began to hit their 40s and 50s).Danny Collins is the prototypical has-been rock star, still clinging to the accoutrements of the roadie lifestyle despite his advanced age. He performs retrospective concerts to an audience of basically ex- groupie "golden girls" who only want to hear his old stuff, lives with a woman half his age, and spends most of his days and nights liquored up and high on cocaine. But one day, when he is informed that none other than the legendary John Lennon wrote him a personalized letter back in 1971 (one Danny never received), Collins decides to take stock of his life, putting an end to all his self- destructive behavior and making amends for relationships lost and opportunities missed. The latter include traveling to New Jersey to finally connect with the grown son he has never met, naively hoping that the embittered young man will welcome his absent father into his life after all these years, no hard feelings and no questions asked.Despite a rather trite and predictable narrative arc, "Danny Collins" rises above its clichés thanks to incisive writing by Fogelman and superb performances by Al Pacino, Annette Benning, Christopher Plummer, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Garner and a young actress named Giselle Eisenberg. Pacino, in particular, imbues a potentially stock character with so much subtle layering that he single-handedly makes the movie worth watching.And, oh, by the way, it goes without saying that the Lennon-laden soundtrack is a real treat - no matter one's generation or age.