The Last Journey (PG)

(Subtitled)

In this moving and funny documentary, Swedish TV presenters Filip Hammar and Fredrik Wikingsson try to rekindle Filip’s 80-year-old father’s zest for life via a road trip to France.

After tracking down an orange Renault 4, the one-time family automobile, he packs up his reluctant father, Lars. With Wikingsson, who becomes the voice of reason, in the rear seat, they set out for Beaulieu-sur-Mer.

The trip is nearly over before it begins, when Lars falls going for a pee at night in a hotel. But Lars is a life-long Francophile, and slowly, a little of the old charisma creeps back in as the holiday gets into swing. It’s not quite enough for Hammar, who is desperate to get his old dad back.  There is a heartbreaking scene when Hammar persuades his dad to cook his old speciality, ratatouille. But poor Lars can barely slice an aubergine.

Hilarious and heartbreaking, The Last Journey is supposed to be a documentary about an elderly man learning to love life again. But really, it’s a gorgeous non-­fiction comedy about a son finding out first-hand that time catches up with us all, even superhero dads.