Men and Women and Romance in Real Life

Rating: 7/10 (27 May 2008)

Everybody: Oh, please.
For what this film sought out to portray, it did an excellent job. Kudos to the actors, the cinematographer, et al.
I do wish that nowadays all men who merely look what we used to call "nice" (i.e., not ugly, almost attractive) are suddenly anointed with being GORGEOUS. Well, yeah, gorgeous if you compare them to most of what's out there in the way of heterosexual males. (Males often feel it is their God-given right to "let themselves go," to walk around with huge paunches, balding pates, grease-stained togs, foul breath, etc., and still be considered "real catches." Why? Because they're MEN! There's this inordinate male pride going on in our society now, along with a sense of entitlement (are you SURE this isn't 1955?), and all women are expected to bow down to the "obviously superior male" of the species. That includes calling them GORGEOUS when they are, in fact, what we used to call just "nice" looking. Nowadays, there are a million films out, starring guys who could only be called very unattractive in anyone's book, and their love interests are always played by truly gorgeous females. What's with that? I am not the only one who noticed this. A reporter for the L.A. Times, plus many other reporters online, have noticed this trend, too.
The guy in the film who played the deceased spouse? He was nice looking. But "gorgeous"? I don't THINK so! Try looking at Alain Delon in his 20s! Now THAT is gorgeous. And there's nothing out there even remotely like him nowadays.
I tho't Hilary Swank did well in this film. I do take issue with the screenwriter, though. That big fight that Hilary had with her spouse early on in the film that most people here loved? Horrible!!! Hilary's character was being whiny and just looking for a reason, it seems, to be angry. She was not angry for any valid reason. Luckily, by the time a female gets more mature, she realizes the folly of starting fights over little itty bitty things such as were portrayed in this film. Hell, had I been the character married to the character played by Hilary, I would have told her precisely what I thought of her pettiness --- before walking out on her and slamming the door! Still, all in all, a nice fantasy (that men can really be as considerate and loving as the guy in the film). We who have been around the block awhile know that, of course, these guys do not exist in real life.