Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Hope Springs


A romantic dramedy about a postmenopausal couple who have lost their sexual spark is simply not a film that appeals to me. But then I got to thinking: how many American films have I heard of, let alone seen, about this very topic? Furthermore, how many of those movies actually generate a fair amount of positive reviews? So, stray I did. And, happily, I report that Hope Springs is a perfect movie for the demographic it is targeting.  That’s not only the nicest way I can assess the film, but the most accurate, too.

Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) haven’t slept together in nearly half a decade – he seems content with it, she does not. So, after an obligatory awkward trip to Barnes and Noble, she walks away with a book on how couples can rejuvenate their love lives. Through research, she learns that the book’s author, Dr. Feld (Steve Carell), hosts weeklong intensive therapy sessions in Maine. And, after some tap dancing ultimatums, Kay and Arnold find themselves sitting on Feld’s couch, nervously rehashing their failed sexual history.

And that is pretty much how Hope Springs goes. Kay cries, Arnold gets angry, and Feld plays moderator. The difference here is that the collective talents of Streep, Jones and, to a much lesser degree, Carell, work harmoniously to not make the film a complete wash. There’s genuine, heartfelt emotion at the core of this thing, and Streep and Jones are expert at fully flexing the faulty (but forgivable) material.
As Kay, Streep is miles above the Margaret Thatcher impersonation that won her an Oscar a few months ago. This is a complex, contradictory woman who slowly, painfully realizes that her husband is only half to blame for her marital problems. But the real show stopper here is Jones. More often than not, we’re used to seeing Jones as that prototypical, well, Tommy Lee Jones character. The mean old son of a bitch who has a brimming soul behind the scowl. Occasionally, Jones is given an opportunity to reaffirm his skill at vulnerability. Hope Springs is such a case. (For more, see In the Valley of Elah, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, and Blue Sky, to name a few.)

Look, Hope Springs isn’t a game changer in the slightest. Aside from its sturdy acting and dutiful depiction of the problem it’s selling, it doesn’t have a lot going for it. Director David Frankel (who directed Streep to an Oscar nomination via The Devil Wears Prada) hasn’t a clue how to effectively implore cinematography, and his musical cues (both in score and song form) are obnoxiously off, but, you know, who cares? Me? A little. The rest of the sold out crowd who applauded during the credits? Hell no. They were in for that rare movie that spoke to them about legitimate problems they may or may not be having (or have had). Fair enough.

I won’t be recalling Hope Springs at my end of the year round up, nor I will it be surprised when it simply fades away in a month or so. But, for the 100 minutes it asked for my attention, I was glad to abide. B

17 comments:

  1. Good review Alex. There is a lot of heart and humor to this flick, which makes it stand above the rest of the other rom-coms that always come out. But what really separates this film from those other ones is the heartfelt performances from Jones and Streep. Both are always at the top of their game and they both prove that here with two very astounding performances that put you in the mindset of an old, dull relationship.

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    1. Yep, completely agree with you. Glad to hear you liked it too Dan!

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  2. I give Jones, Streep, and even Carell an A for effort, but there just wasn't much for them work with. In the Valley of Elah! Yes! That's Jones on top of his game. I admired his performance here (more than Streep's and Carell's), but I didn't care for the film as a whole. Glad you enjoyed it though.

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    1. Oh yeah, Jones was miles above Streep and Carell's work here, no question. I really appreciate the restraint and humility he brought to the role. Not a movie for me at all, but I did enjoy aspects of it, certainly.

      Thanks for not ripping me a new one for this semi positive review haha!

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    2. Ha! Don't mention it. I'd give The Bourne Legacy 3/4, so we flipped on these two films. :)

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    3. I've never heard of The Valley of Elah -- I need to look that up!

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    4. Oh it is fantastic. He received a well earned Oscar nomination for his performance, which is arguably the best of his career. Very very good film.

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    5. Yes. What Alex said, Stephanie. Check it out.

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  3. Great review! I may catch it since its the same director as The Devil Wears Prada and I adore this movie. This should have been Meryl's Oscar win not that Iron Lady crap.

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    1. Thanks! Ugh, I completely agree. She is so infinitely better in this than The Iron Lady. The performances really don't even compare. Oh wellll.

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  4. Thank you for your excellent, thoughtful and balanced review. I am closer to the target audience for this film, being middle aged and married, and despite the mixed reviews I've been reading it sounds like the kind of movie I'd enjoy.

    I've always loved Meryl Streep, though some of her performances are definitely better than others. Your description of her character and performance are enough to convince me to see this when it comes to DVD. I also like Tommy Lee Jones a lot, and I'd love to see him in a distinctively different kind of role. I am excited to hear he's terrific in this.

    Even if the film-making isn't great, it sounds like an interesting character study and exploration of relationships later in life (which is not done nearly enough in Hollywood).

    By the way, thanks for reminding me of Tommy Lee Jones's performance in Blue Sky. I really liked that movie.

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    1. Thank YOU for such a kind comment! Jones is indeed excellent in this movie, and he singlehandedly makes it worth it, although Streep's tenderness surely helps.

      Yeah, it isn't particularly well made, but I respect that it even got made, you know? Blue Sky is so good, isn't it? Jessica Lange just kills it.

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    2. Yes, Jessica Lange was amazing in that movie. I might need to watch it again sometime -- it's probably been close to 20 years since I saw it. It's a real tribute to the movie that those characters still stand out clearly in my mind after all that time.

      I find that I appreciate movies for different reasons, some for the film-making, some for the acting, and some for the story it's trying to tell. It's awesome when a film has all three, but if it doesn't it can still be worthwhile.

      Along those lines, I think the reason a person enjoys a particular film (or not) is, to a large degree, a purely individual response, which -- in my experience -- can change from one viewing to the next. For example, I'm still trying to puzzle out why I didn't enjoy Shame (aside from the fact that it was depressing and sad *LOL*) and trying to decide whether I need to see it at least one more time.

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    3. Couldn't agree more with this comment - movies change as we change. I believe that wholeheartedly. Some get better, some become indifferent; it's all a reflection of who we are at that given time.

      Obviously, I'd recommend that you watch Shame again. But hey, if it wasn't for you, then it wasn't for you. But who knows, maybe it will be someday.

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  5. So different from what the trailer led me to believe. Not a zany comedy at all, but an introspective meditation on life. I recommended the film but only because of Streep and Jones. They were incredible and I enjoyed the portrait of their life. Unfortunately the story was just too depressing to truly engage me.

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    1. I agree that the trailer drastically misrepresented what the final film was. Glad you git enjoyment out of it. Depressing... that's interesting. I didn't find it sad at all, just real.

      At any rate, thanks for stopping by and commenting!

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