Movie review: Hope Springs

Kay (Meryl Streep) drags Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) to an intensive week-long couples counseling to rediscover their spark after 31 years of marriage.

I am not the intended demographic for Hope Springs. Far from it. This movie is meant for romantic couples - the older the better. If you are planning to watch it, make sure you do so with your partner. And I urge you NOT to watch it with a family member seeing how there are some "funny" awkward and uncomfortable scenes when Kay and Arnold tries to learn how to touch each other once again, or seeing Kay masturbate under the covers.

For 'forever alone' guys such as myself, this movie mainly elicits three feelings from me:

• Charm 
• The desire to find a significant other
• Depression over not having a significant other

As for the movie itself, I did somewhat like it despite seeing it on my own. The story may be a bit too recognizable and predictable for its own good, but the drama is well handled and the tense moments between Kay and Arnold thus feel very genuine. They appear to really be a couple who have been together for that long and has lost their intimacy. This is aided by the high quality of acting from Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep. They impress from beginning to end.

Another positive attribute of this film is it's charm. When it is not uncomfortable, awkward or going through a more dramatic scene or sequences, then it's very heartwarming.

5/9 (probably a 6 or 7 if seen in the right company)

The good:

The acting

Genuine drama

Its charm

The bad:

Can be uncomfortable at times

Quite predictable