Jamie passion and passionfruit!

I liked this Isabel Coixet movie that has been subject to very mixed reviews.  Based on the Philip Roth novel of the thawing of a smart academic (Ben Kingsley) who never quite commits to relationships and meets his match in Consuelo (played by Penelope Cruz in excellent form).  Of course, this relationship is quite different but he gives it the same treatment and regrets it when it comes to an end.  Events lead him to a reappraisal of his behaviour and he gets the chance to change, something which he said was inevitable but which he showed little evidence of.  This is a film about aging, about attraction, about the level on which we relate to others and Cruz is teaching Kingsley’s character that there are various levels.  Apart from the astute direction, the photography and music are good and the performances are a delight.  Apart from the very able leads we have Patricia Clarkson as Kingsley’s long term lover, an assured performance, Dennis Hopper surprising as his friend and Peter Sarsgaard as his mixed-up son. Even Debbie Harry has a nice cameo.  This is an intelligent, adult film that is not perfect but is accomplished and worth seeing.

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