Late Bloomers is a first rate rom-com about first world problems, with two great veteran actors delivering on a witty and poignant script.

There is a scene in Late Bloomers where Isabella Rossellini is looking for some male friendly attention. As she crosses her legs and unbuttons the top of her blouse, she walks over the bar, orders a drink and walks back to her seat. Not one man flinches.

Most would find it remarkable that the sexy Italian brunette who had tongues wagging in Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her could not raise an eyebrow, yet then again this is Rossellini at age 60. She and her co-star William Hurt have aged gracefully, wrinkles and all. It suits their roles well and they in turn suit each other in their first on screen pairing.

Rossellini and Hurt play Mary and Adam, an upper class married couple who deal with their impending twilight years in different ways. Mary takes to old age with fanatic aplomb, practically transforming their London apartment into a nursing home complete with retractable bed. Adam denies old age is upon him by surrounding himself with younger workers at his architecture firm in a bid to stay relevant.

Soon enough their drastically different approaches leads to their separation. It is up to their three adult children to try and bring them together.

Such material could be framed into a tragic family drama, yet director/co-writer Julie Garvas has successfully blended the funny with the sad to create something of a rarity: a rom-com that actually has something to say.

That something is getting old can be hard if not approached with the right mind set, especially in a world that has become younger, faster and with little advice for people approaching the big 6-0, what with 40 the new 30 and midlife crisis a self-help industry in its own.

The casting of Rossellini and Hurt makes it all work so well. They are two great actors who click well when together and are equally good when on their own (although the less said about Hurt’s shaky English accent the better). Doreen Montie is also very good as Mary’s fiercely independent mother, Nora.  

Sure, Late Bloomers is suited for a specific target market. But those who are not nearing there pension will also get a laugh and lesson into what could be waiting in the future. Either way, it’s worth watching Rossellini and Hurt light up the screen during the now.