Cinema Review – Hope Springs

A romantic comedy about two sixty year olds may not be everyone’s idea of a great night out at the cinema, especially not mine, and I can forgive anyone who thinks Hope Springs will be a whimsical and sentimental picture that is unlikely to make much of an impact. Instead, it turned out to be quite the opposite and I soon found myself laughing along with the main characters and secretly hoping that they would patch up the problems that have blighted their relationship for some time.

While it is clear that Kay and Arnold care for each other, their marriage is very much on the rocks; spontaneity and excitement have long gone out of the window and in their place is a mundane and repetitive existence that appears to be the unfortunate couple’s very own Groundhog Day. Kay longs to reignite the spark that kickstarted 30 years of marriage and it is her determination to rescue their relationship that leads her to seek help from elsewhere. Enter Dr Feld, the successful writer and marriage guidance counsellor whose book inspires Kay to take a week long trip to visit him along with her reluctant husband, and we have a recipe for a surprisingly enjoyable comedy.

Gone are the days when Tommy Lee Jones would star in the latest action movie and Meryl Streep could comfortably take a lead role as a lady to be swooned over but their performances in Hope Springs prove that they are far from past it. Steve Carrell is perfectly suited to the role of Dr Feld who injects much of the humour into the film whilst acting as an intermediary to the couple which turns out to be quite a daunting challenge.

I love nothing more than when characters in a film head to the cinema and I take my hat off to David Frankel for sending Kay and Arnold to watch Le Diner De Cons, an exceptional French comedy that strangely enough was remade recently with Carrell in a lead role. It is in this environment that an attempt to rekindle their marriage ends in embarrasment but will undoubtedly be a highlight for the audience.

At times touching, and often amusing, Hope Springs is a charming view of life with a very similar feel to this year’s earlier hit The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. As a 25 year old unmarried man there is not much for me to relate to but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the film and I can only imagine that it is likely to resonate more with older viewers whose marriages may have encountered obstacles along the way. With the Summer Blockbuster season all but over, Hope Springs is the perfect way for audiences of all ages to spend an Autumn evening and proof that the simplest of stories can compete with the latest big budget pictures.