Heartless Hollywood Strikes Again.

Rating: 4/10 (4 October 2008)

Some of my favorite authors are women, but here we have one of those female writers with Zero Life Experience doing a tearjerker in full compliance to the junk-book formulas they teach in Creative Writing. The sad result is a tragic romance devoid of any tears --- devoid of any contact with either real life or real people. Despite several good scenes and able acting by the cast, the film is emotionally dead.
To begin with, a man dying from a brain tumor -- if anyone cares -- is not likely to be disposed to think up cutesie wootsie letters and gifts to leave behind to follow his death. No, brain tumors are painful and depressing; just not the Big Motivator for romantic thoughts. Double that if the man is a struggling artist with no excess money.
I confess I often cry in the movies; but nothing in this mess motivates a tear. One final complaint: I like having movies take me to interesting places where I might like to go on my own later. For example, Dublin, Ireland. That's fine, but I'm not interested in being Shanghied into a trip to a Manhattan gay bar. Like the characters in this movie, I'm strictly heterosexual (and proud of it). Anyway, gays are in these places for the serious business of finding a hook-up. They don't need or want sightseers invading their turf.