Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton find love in the afternoon

DOUGLAS AND KEATON. “Kilig”-inducing romance isn’t just for the young.

If you want a good laugh and a good cry, you can’t go wrong with Rob Reiner’s “And So It Goes” (showing exclusively at Ayala cinemas), starring Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton. Set in a picturesque apartment complex by the lake in Fairfield, Connecticut, the film follows two sexagenarians, self-contained realtor Orin Little (Douglas) and lonely lounge singer Leah (Keaton), brought together by a 6-year-old girl, Sarah (the adorable Sterling Jerins).

The Scrooge-like old-timer gets the shock of his life when Kyle, the estranged son he hasn’t seen in seven years, shows up at his doorstep, with his young daughter in tow—and forces his cold-hearted father to look after Sarah while he is serving his nine-month prison sentence! As Orin stresses, “We’ve long established the fact that I can’t raise a child well!”

Left with no choice, however, Orin grudgingly takes care of Sarah, with the help of his 65-year-old next-door neighbor, the childless Leah, who quickly warms up to the adorable tyke and treats her as her own. They don’t like each other that much, but the new arrangement brings them closer together:

Her friendship and refreshing candor make him warmer and more willing to compromise, and he teaches her how to finish her songs without breaking down—! They soon realize they don’t just love the girl—they have also learned to love each other! But, in the unsettling late afternoon of their lives, are they willing to face the complications that often come with romance?

Unforced chemistry

Reiner’s heart-warming “dramedy” is neither original nor unpredictable, but it wears its heart on its sleeve: Douglas and Keaton make the film smolder and brim with real emotions, thanks to their unforced chemistry and spot-on banter. Reiner gives them some special “moments” to thespically play with.

Even with the production’s “deus ex machina” scenes, it’s hard not to get swept off your feet by Keaton’s easygoing humor and ineffably calming presence.

Douglas does even better by displaying his razor-sharp acting chops as he cleverly sprinkles leavening moments of wit and hilarity between moving dramatic sequences. —Talk about a legendary actor’s time-honed skills, you can’t get any more seasoned than this!

The feel-good family picture slides smoothly between drama and chuckle-triggering romantic-comedy—and back again. Moreover, it niftily demonstrates that “kilig”-inducing romance isn’t just for the young, but also for weary, fractured olidies who deserve another shot at happiness.

It neatly establishes a bond that is at once light and easygoing but, at the same time, unconditional and all-encompassing—which is what genuine love should be.