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Movies / On DVD / Sunset Story
Sunset Story

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Sunset Story

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Reviews Counted:14

Fresh:13

Rotten:1

Average Rating:7.7/10

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 2 hrs 18 mins

Genre: Musical & Performing Arts

Theatrical Release:Feb 25, 2005 Limited

Synopsis: Thwarting a popular misconception about old age, SUNSET STORY tells the tale of two elderly folk who remain sharp and politically charged throughout their twilight years. Filmmaker Laura Gabbert... Thwarting a popular misconception about old age, SUNSET STORY tells the tale of two elderly folk who remain sharp and politically charged throughout their twilight years. Filmmaker Laura Gabbert traveled to a retirement home called Sunset Hall in Los Angeles to find her subjects: Irja Lloyd and Lucille Alpert, who are 81 and 95 years old respectively. Sunset Hall's residents all have a deep interest in politics, resulting in a vibrant community of retired activists who have lost none of their passion and verve for current affairs. Gabbert trains her camera on Irja and Lucille to highlight two typical members of the community, and the couple delight in retelling fascinating tales about their lives. They even express disappointment in their fellow residents at Sunset Hall, whom they castigate for not being quite as up to date on current events as they are. Fortunately Irja and Lucille are more than happy keeping each other company, and Gabbert's film reflects beautifully on two people who are clearly delighted to be caught in the throes of a flourishing friendship. [More]

Starring: Lucille Alpert, Irja Lloyd

Starring: Lucille Alpert, Irja Lloyd

Director: Laura Gabbert

Director: Laura Gabbert

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Apr 12, 2005

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Sunset Story

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1 - 19 (sorted by date)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
08/16/07
Nigel Floyd
Nigel Floyd
Time Out New York
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
08/19/05
Melissa Anderson
Melissa Anderson
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[Sunset Story] isn't a movie about retired activists. It's a stunning meditation on the battle between mission and mortality.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
07/15/05
Bill Gibron
Bill Gibron
PopMatters
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
04/09/05
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sunset Story hardly qualifies as a documentary. It's a home movie, complete with spasmodic editing and silly panning shots, punctuated by mawkish piano music.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
04/09/05
Maria Garcia
Maria Garcia
Film Journal International

A wonderfully humorous take on a seldom-broached subject.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
03/04/05
Kevin Crust
Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

That such a place even exists may seem extraordinary, but director Laura Gabbert wisely doesn't trumpet Sunset Hall itself. Instead, her vid-shot docu reveals what a special place this is through the vector of her heroines, Irja Lloyd and Lucille Alpert.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/03/05
Robert Koehler
Robert Koehler
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's the cinematic equivalent of glancing up at the sky and taking a good deep breath.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
03/03/05
Chuck Wilson
Chuck Wilson
L.A. Weekly

An extraordinary documentary about the friendship between two activist elders in a Los Angeles retirement community for political progressives.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
02/26/05
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

Irja is as sharp as a tack and Lucille has a wickedly dry wit; spending 75 minutes in their excellent company is a rare privilege.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
02/25/05
Ken Fox
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Gabbert expertly delivers a far more powerful message with honesty, humor and palpable respect.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
02/25/05
Debra Birnbaum
Debra Birnbaum
New York Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's a poignant, realistic depiction of the ­elderly, far from the typical view of them as quaint and useless.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
02/25/05
Jami Bernard
Jami Bernard
New York Daily News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Laura Gabbert's deeply affecting documentary profiles a pair of extraordinary women who live in a 'nonprofit retirement home for free-thinking elders.'

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
02/24/05
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Besides being funny about themselves and their contemporaries, the women provide a window on the social evolution of the United States over the past century.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
02/24/05
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Utterly unsentimental, deeply moving.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
02/24/05
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

Sunset Story offers a touching look at the residents of a special retirement home in Los Angeles.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
02/05/05
Eric Campos
Eric Campos
Film Threat
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
02/03/05
AV Club
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A wonderful documentary by Laura Gabbert that may make you laugh and cry -- and may change your mind about age and aging.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
02/03/05
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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