One Minute Movie Review: Hope Springs

This is a difficult film to dissect.   Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep provide such authentic performances as a troubled couple trying to make sense of 31 years of marriage that the film moves from entertainment to a sense of voyeurism.   Every scene, whether involving their own interaction or counseling sessions, are so true to form that you almost feel guilty peering into the private lives of two people desperately trying to rescue their relationship.   With that said, the film moves at the pace of a documentary,  more than fantasy,  in order to effectively  weave its tale. The scenes are so realistic that the audience makes an immediate connection with both story and players which are both thoroughly engaging and, at times, definitively uncomfortable.  Corel’s performance as the marriage counselor is one of his best, moving him from his relentlessly overbearing reluctant comedic hero stature to a more subdued and sophisticated portrayal that is both believable and sympathetic.   For the younger set,  the film has a strong moral about keeping a marriage fresh, however, the older crowd might find the topics a little too edgy especially if they fall under the prudish category.   Not a movie that you would watch over and over again but certainly worth the time spent.   3 to 5 kernels: the real lesson;   Hope springs, not from any artificial means,  or by accident, but by the deliberate choices of the heart.