Out Takes 2012 : Cloud Burst (M)

Oscar-winners Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker star as Stella and Dot, a couple for 31 years whose idyllic life in Maine is under threat. While Dot`s granddaughter plots to get Dot into a nursing home, defiant and foul-mouthed Stella decides they must to elope to Canada in order to stay together. On the way, they pick up a young hitchhiker who becomes an accomplice to their mission, and who is also on a bit of a journey of his own. It`s easy to forget how brilliant both Fricker and Dukakis can be on screen - but they both seem to keep getting better. And here they are extraordinary - completely convincing as a couple whose lives fit together, and who will go to ridiculous lengths not to be separated. These performances, together with a sharply observant script and sensitive direction by Thom Fitzgerald, and gorgeous scenic cinematography, make for a thoroughly entertaining and ultimately satisfying road movie.