June Squibb’s late in life film career continues. She was 84 when she received her Academy Award Nomination for Alexander Payne’s Nebraska and to say she hasn’t slowed down would be an understatement. Just last year her film Thelma was met to glowing reviews among critcs and online film fans alike, and now she has partnered with another Oscar Nominee, Scarlett Johansson, who directs her in ScarJo’s debut behind the camera in Eleanor the Great.

The film is centered around Eleanor, who loses her dear friend Bessie (Rita Zohar) early on in the film. Without any ties there, she leaves her community in Florida and moves in with her freshly divorced daughter and grandson in their Manhatten apartment. Originally from The Bronx, navigating New York is nothing new for Eleanor and she roams the city, and pesters her family to spend more time with her. To keep her busy her daughter signs her up for a class at the local Jewish Community Center. In a classic mix up situation Eleanor winds up in the wrong room without realizing it. Sitting in a circle, she’s horrified when she realizes that she’s in a Holocaust survivors group. After being encouraged to share her story, Eleanor, always one for a little attention, tells Bessie’s Holocaust survivor story as her own.

She rationilizes it to herself, better to have it out there than not at all. Bessie was her roommate and had given her every detail. The story of losing her brother, of jumping from a window and running from the Nazis through the woods. Eleanor was a good friend, she had listened carefully and had every word down. Nina (Erin Kellyman) , a young college student working on a paper is tranfixed by Eleanor’s story and encourages her to share it with her class. Things begin to spiral as this woman from the Bronx weaves this inspiring epic of persecution and resilience to her onlookers. Soon Eleanor is being questioned by Nina’s father, Roger (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a New York reporter who is fascinated by her story.

There’s an interesting conversation about the best way to present a story that the movie only slightly tilts at. Would the story play as well if Eleanor came clean right away? It is objectively important for people to hear Bessie’s flight from German forces, and it’s likely that the tale would not reach as many ears if Eleanor opened her take with “my friend was a survivor.” Obviously people want to hear stories from those that experience the events, but Bessie has passed. Eleanor borrowing that story at times feels like a good thing to do, as opposed to a selfish one. It’s easily the most interesting part of the film, unfortunately the movie barely tries to wrestle with it.

The film largely plays out in a paint by numbers manner. Nina and Eleanor’s friendship takes flight as the young and the old bond and adventure around NYC. Neither one feels their age, and their chemistry is solid if somewhat unremarkable. The reveal of Eleanor’s truth hits like a scene in a rom com. We know Nina will be hurt by the betrayal, just as we know there will be forgiveness at the end, and everyone will be happy and together before the credits start rolling. ScarJo picked a safe picture for her first time in the chair. It’s hard to give the movie too many notes as many of the choices feel as safe as they could possibly be. It’s held aloft mostly by the star at the center of it, even as the draping around June Squibb doesn’t quite do her justice.

3/5