Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Poms Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 10, 2019

There have been several movies released over the past couple of decades focusing on elder characters reinvigorated by partaking in more traditionally youthful activities, refusing to act their age and deciding to spend their last years like they should have spent their first years. Space Cowboys immediately comes to mind and dates back some time, but newer entries into this somewhat burgeoning genre like Last Vegas have seemed to set a precedent that there's money to be made, and enjoyment to be found, in the hearts and souls of well-aged characters (and it doesn't hurt to find excuses to get some of Hollywood's best talent from decades past back on the screen, either). Director Zara Hayes' Poms is a joyful, if not somewhat routine, film that focuses on several senior citizens who band together at a retirement home and form a cheerleading squad, a practice usually reserved for far more youthful, and healthier, individuals.

Martha (Diane Keaton) is dying from cancer. She’s decided to surrender rather than fight. She’s sold all of her belongings and moved out of her apartment for a retirement community where she hopes to eventually die in peace. She’s lived a difficult life. She was once an aspiring cheerleader but had to give up the sport -- before ever getting to perform -- when her mother fell ill. In her first hours at the retirement community, she meets her rowdy neighbor Sheryl (Jacki Weaver). The two eventually hit it off and decide to start a cheerleading squad for some of the elderly residents. Though they face perils and pitfalls -- physical pains and emotional scars -- they choose to persevere and accomplish the impossible.

Poms plays the part of an odd duck in its first act, following a dying woman who has essentially given up hope. Martha cancels her chemo treatment and sells everything she owns, all with, more or less, a smile on her face, even if it’s a bit of a bitter sweet smile. The movie opens with a form of surrender, which isn’t necessarily a great hook, but it quickly becomes apparent that Martha is going to find life in the film’s second act, which is basically her second chance. And like the first act feels off-the-cuff, so too does the second when she and others her age take up cheerleading, of all things. It feels like a movie built around a gimmick, a harebrained idea that’s so silly it has no choice but to kinda-sorta work in the feel-good department. Of course, frail bones are broken, routines are poorly performed, and public humiliation abounds, but the movie is less concerned with the plot’s details and the inherent goofiness thereof and more concerned with the heart that emerges from it and the souls that shine from within it.

The performances are not inspired, but they are spirited. Keaton and company soak up the opportunity to goof around and have fun at their own, and one another’s, expense. They seem to realize that the story is absurd but they do run with it, taking it all in and giving it everything they have, physically and emotionally alike. The performances feel authentic. The fragility and physical limitations are obvious but the high spirits are also visible on every face and in every smile. Poms works as well as it does because its cast wears its collective heart on its collective sleeve. Everyone is game and the actors’ infectious enthusiasm has no choice but to spill out of the screen and into the audience. Bravo for making something so ridiculous almost rewarding.

Poms Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Poms was shot digitally (unsurprisingly) and the results on Blu-ray are quite nice. The image sparkles. It's super clean and colorful. Details are sharp and natural. Facial textures are revealing, and every wrinkle and pore comes through with a level of natural intricacy that pushes the Blu-ray format towards its limits. The picture's sharpness extends corner to corner. Nothing's soft here, and well manicured grounds around the retirement home, gymnasiums, and other locations enjoy crisp, effortless excellence. Colors dazzle throughout. Natural greens shine and various cheerleading uniforms enjoy firm, natural punch. The yellow-walled practice room where the ladies get up to speed on their moves has an airy look to it that slightly washes out colors -- particularly some of the garments the ladies where therein -- but everything else looks great. Black levels are fine. Noise is kept to a bare minimum and there are no other immediately obvious source or encode flaws worth noting. While the studio has not of yet released the film on UHD (and probably never will), it's difficult to envision a major upgrade on that format. Punchier color and slightly sharper details sure but nothing out of this world to bring the movie to much more stable, clear, and vibrant life compared to what is offered here under the more than capable 1080p/SDR constraints.

Poms Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Cheer! Universal has encoded Pom's soundtrack in a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless configuration. The track is perfectly serviceable in every regard. It's not a super intense track, at least not early on in the first act when Martha is reconfiguring what is left of her life, moving on from what she knew to the prospects of death at the retirement home. Here, there is light city ambience but mostly dialogue, which is clear and detailed and well prioritized, as it is for the duration. Various musical accompaniments during tryouts for the team, and throughout the movie, offer an appropriate amount of vigor and detail. Some of the more intense routines outside of practice offer more stage-filling intensity and bass. Clarity is not quite perfect, and some of the crowd applause and din heard during the squad's first performance at a school in chapter 11 sounds a little muffled. Overall, though, expect to hear a well-rounded musical selection. Mild atmospherics fill in a few gaps. It's a quality listen in every regard.

Poms Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Universal's Blu-ray release of Poms contains no supplemental content. The release ships with a DVD copy of the film and an iTunes digital copy code. It also ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

Poms Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Poms' premise is wild and it kind of works. Writer/Director Zara Hayes and her spirited cast overcome the implausible plotting thanks to believable enthusiasm that permeates nearly every frame. There is a shadow of dour emotions and dire consequences hanging over the movie but even as they come into play, or back into play, the feel-good, live-life message thrives above some of the morbidity that originally helps put the plot in place from the outset. Keaton and friends sparkle at the highs and live believable beyond the makeshift glamour. It's not a particularly good movie, but it just feels right and is sure to leave its audience smiling. Universal's featureless Blu-ray delivers very good video and audio presentations. Worth a look.