Review of Hope Springs (2012) by Eyal D — 27 Dec 2012

IN HOPE SPRINGS legendary actress Streep would like us to believe that she's capable of playing everywoman, plain and simple, and proves [once again] that audiences around the world are only mesmerized by her when she takes over a full-scale, larger than life iconic role, and makes that role her own.

Well, in the almost embarrassingly dumb, wholly unbelievable dramedy that's neither very dramatic nor remotely funny, the film's sole redeeming value is Tommy Lee Jones playing a brick wall of a husband who, after thirty-one years cannot come into physical or emotional contact with his drab mid-age wife, over-emoted by Streep, who just doesn't do drab well at all.

Cringe-worthy scenes include phoney visits to the marriage/sex therapist strangely played dead-pan by Steve Carell, a horribly failed BJ attempt in what looks like a Hollywood soundstage replica of an empty movie house, lessons in fellatio involving Streep and a banana.

Don't ask. I'm hoping to forget that even my favourite actress in the world can make a stinker or two but not since MAMMA MIA have I wished this painful realization would go away. Worst of all is that Streep looks like she's had a whale of time making this movie.

Still, TLJ provides a complex, deeply nuanced performance that gives HOPE SPRINGS its emotional centre.