SKIP THESE TWO DREARY MOVIES

I love movies. I watch a lot of them since my husband died- although it doesn't make up for all the missed conversation and laughing. But when you live alone, Netfliix is a wonderful help.

The last two movies I ordered were bummers, though. They were so dreary! And pointless. You wonder why they were ever produced, because I know it is hard for a film to go through everything in Hollywood and finally emerge. Also, these two films both had good critical reviews which says something about the low expectations for films nowadays. No critic ever wrote that the films were dull and lifeless, the plots and storylines uninspired. Wonderful actors were sacrificed on these movies. Don't go to see them! That's my advice.

The first is Atonement. I have always thought that this author (McEwen) is a drag, despite the fact that he has been lionized for another book, equally uninteresting. The plot of Atonement is that a grim little girl makes a false accusation against her sister's lover (Of course, he is the gamekeeper's son in the typical English class thing) and that is that. He goes away presumably to prison, although later he is out and a soldier in World War !. Everybody dies except the mean little girl who lives on doing good works. There are a lot of gaps in continuity in the movie which may be a rough job of editing for the DVD. All in all, Atonement is a real loser from my standpoint, particularly when compared to the wonderful English movies of the past dealing with somewhat the same material. Skip this one. Mr. McEwen needs a little excitement in his life.

Next, another dreary movie, The Savages. I had looked forward to this because I love Laura Linney(who doesn't) and it had another great actor, Phillip Hoffman. It's not their fault that this is a "feel-bad" movie that you wish you had never seen. Being just a step away from Altzeimers myself, I must confess I am not enthusiastic about the miseries of this situation. But in this film, the Altzeimer parent is not the one who makes you most queasy. The real losers are the brother and sister, without an ounce of joy in their lives. The set decoration of their incredibly messy apartments gives you the picture. The portrayal of senior communities (Sun City) and the old folks there is unneccesarily cruel. It's a terrible screenplay. For a contrast, compare this parody to the Julie Christie movie "Away From Her". What do you think?