A quartet of distinguished over-60 stars give their formidable best to this thoughtful tale of the unlikely friendship of a raucous Irish ex-sailor (Richard Harris) and a dignified retired Cuban barber (Robert Duvall).

Piper Laurie is delicious as the unwilling focus of Harris's romantic intentions, while Shirley MacLaine turns on her customary world-weary charisma as his embittered landlady.

Sadly, a pre-stardom Sandra Bullock has little to do as the waitress who's the object of Duvall's admiration.

Nothing much happens in the leisurely two-hour running time, yet this is still an absorbing bitter-sweet study of loneliness and old age.

If Duvall seems miscast, Harris is particularly impressive as the former hellraiser whose spirit is very much alive but whose body is failing.

Who, though, is the audience for this movie?