I never imagined I'd see Vanessa Redgrave give a bad performance, but then I never would have imagined she'd end her career in stupid movies like How About You. What a waste of some great actors.The story is achingly maudlin and predictable, and the dialog is corny and phony - like a sappy Lifetime TV movie larded with profanity, in which consuming cannabis is the magical solution to every problem. It's stupid.And the song! I never hated "How About You?" until I had it force-fed to me by this movie. Sung in its entirety first by Bobby Darin over the opening credits, THEN by Redgrave in a pub; a brief ragtime version by the young sisters on a piano; and again by Redgrave and an unseen chorus at the finale. That's more than enough for a lifetime.The director is a moron. He not only has the talent and esthetic sensibility of a soap opera hack (every stupid point he is determined to get across has to be repeated ad nauseam, to make absolutely sure that NOBODY will NOT get it), but has some kind of fetish for things drifting down out of the sky.He has snow falling while everything is green (including the ground, where the snow evidently melts on contact, although it sits forever on actors' hair) and dead leaves drifting thickly down at Christmas-time although there's absolutely no wind to pluck them off the trees. That does not happen except in this idiot director's imagination. Trite and heavyhanded metaphors for death, maybe? Who knows. Or cares.This dumb, irritating movie is only for folks who are either fascinated or terrified by death. People get old, they fall apart, and then they die. So what? It happens to everybody. It's happening to me now. It's perfectly natural and good, except to people in strong denial, who believe if they do everything the doctors tell them to do THEY won't die; which, of course, is a lie.So I advise skipping this stupid movie, unless you have a death fetish that won't allow you such freedom. The only good thing about it is getting to LOOK at Redgrave, who gets more beautiful with each passing year. What a marvel she is! If only she hadn't had to say such relentlessly stupid lines she single-handedly would have made this movie worth watching.

Grand, luxurious country squire manor turned into ritzy nursing home. Beautiful gardens, pristine river, chintzy comfortable rooms, and yet not much peace nor content. The old age is hard enough without endless regrets, ruminations on missed opportunities, and so many memories colored with dark tinges of grief. So, in this pleasant, overly sweet, albeit very enjoyable truffle of a movie, comes young rebellious women and with a bit of attention, a dollop of booze and an occasional joint, turns around few difficult residents played by masters of British acting. Of course, none of this makes any sense. But, we don't always need to be hit on a head with the truncheon of reality. It is nice to, for a split second, believe in a possibility of redemption.

I hired this movie because it was Irish, because it was Binchy and because I love the actors in it. A nice if predictable little story, but I do get tired of 'how hashish saved the world' story lines - having seen how much damage it can do, my outlook is coloured. Somewhat improbably the young girl saves the day and even the grouchy inspector has a chance to shine. Why the older sister could not have brought the mother to her home baffled me and like another reviewer, there were unanswered questions. Pity really, because the viewing was pleasant but the fact remains that I was bored halfway through. Loved the 'oldies', some of the best there is.

Greetings again from the darkness. Based on a short story by Maeve Binchy, this film is prevented from going too deeply thanks to the TV direction of Anthony Byrne. This one really has the feel and pace of a Hallmark Movie of the Week ... only with a really nice cast.Hayley Atwell (The Duchess) plays Elle, the black sheep of the family, who shows up unannounced at the private retirement center her big sis owns. The home is struggling due to the rude behavior exhibited by four of the residents played by Brenda Fricker and Imelda Staunton (as sisters), Vanessa Redgrave (a former performer who longs for the spotlight again) and grumpy, lonely widower Joss Ackland (from the EverReady Bunny commercials, and for his line "Diplomatic Immunity" in Lethal Weapon 2). These four don't much like each other and certainly don't care for any others. Until ... you guessed it ... Elle reminds them what living is all about.Must also mention a terrific supporting turn by Joan O'Hara, who brings a little wisdom and a twinkle in the eye to Elle. Sadly Ms. O'Hara passed not long after filming. I really thought Ms. Staunton stood out for her interesting portrayal of the co-dependent sister with a dark family secret. Well, at least it is dark for this film, which again, just doesn't dig too deeply into anything.A message film with the simple message that loneliness should be avoided and don't stop living until you have taken your last breath. The title song is played at least 3 different ways in the film.