An aging and increasingly forgetful man named Emilio (voiced by Martin Sheen) is shipped off to a retirement home by his son in this poignant animated adaptation of a Spanish graphic novel, directed by Ignacio Ferreras.
Emilio is befriended by his roommate, Miguel (George Coe), an amiable hustler who bilks just about every resident out of a few bucks on a daily basis. They coexist with characters like “the DJ,” a former talk-show host who now repeats everything he hears; a woman who obsessively puts butter pats inside her purse; and a wife who’s volunteered to live in the home with her Alzheimer’s-stricken husband, feeding him meals and whispering inside jokes in his ear.
“Wrinkles” casts an affectionate but realistic eye on life in a senior home, depicting with particular menace the staircase leading to the floor where residents with dementia are taken, never to return. But the film doesn’t wallow in grief; it’s a thoughtful and nuanced portrait of a stage of life we often choose not to see.