The Amaranth

Overall, I felt this was a very good movie. You do not have to be an A listed male or female actor to give an extremely good performance; you just have to have the opportunity to do so. But, as I sat though the viewing of the film, my mind drifted back to the 1970s for an oddly similar movie and the only one I could come up with was the original Stepford Wives.

We open our movie with a retirement village. But not the usual sort with smallish homes and bingo at the rec center. This is a retirement village for very well-to-do folks, obviously. We are introduced to the "main couple," an older man and his (supposedly) younger wife (although she never looked as young as everyone was insinuating that she was).

The house this couple will now be living in is gorgeous. Actually, I think the house was the star of the movie! Just beautiful...wonderfully decorated. Yea, the house was great! The rest of the movie? Well, it was weird and slow. But intriquing enough for me to keep watching.

The woman in charge of showing the couple around is stressing how many great activities there are to participate in at this retirement community. Golf, swimming, etc...and the grounds, just like the house, are absolutely gorgeous.

But there's a vibe. A mysterious sort of "something creepy is going on here" vibe. But not too creepy. Not like "horror movie creepy." Just more...mysterious. The old people who live at this place are strangely energetic for their ages. Also, strangely sexual. So, that doesn't add up.

Then there's the "butler" the couple is assigned...a really nice guy who keeps giving the man and the woman odd looks, like he "knows something they don't." Well...that's because he does.

After the woman's husband has a stroke (or maybe it was a heart attack) the husband is taken to the hospital in the development. After he returns home, he's changed! Suddenly, he has a ton more energy, whereas before, he barely wanted to leave the house. Plus...he always wants to have sex with his wife! He wants to go to parties and he even flirts with other old women. And....now the nice butler has mysteriously vanished, replaced by someone else!

What's going on here? Of course, I won't tell you, because that would give "everything" away. But I will say, it's not all that interesting. In fact, the "reveal" is a bit of a let-down.

I don't believe this is a movie I would ever watch again, once I know what "the secret" is. That was the whole thing that kept me glued in the first place....wanting to find out what was going on. And now that I know...

Anyway, would I recommend this movie? Yea, maybe for one viewing and one viewing only. The acting is okay, and like I said...the scenery is beautiful! The main character, the woman, was a bit unlikable I thought...unfortunately. Perhaps if they had chosen another actress, that would have made a difference. She has a very annoying voice.

Also, they should have added some more "action" to this movie....like maybe someone having an affair or something, just to kick it up. Oh well. The one word that comes to mind when I think of this movie is "weird." And maybe "slow." But yea...for one single viewing if you have nothing else to do, it's not bad.

For once, I agree with the overall Imdb rating of this movie; it was palatable. An interesting, if unoriginal story, unfolds with enough mystery to keep you watching until the end. Melora Walterns was a new face to me, but she held up her acting part with skill. Jeffery DeMunn has one of those unpleasant faces that would make a great villain, but in this movie he just looks senile and demented. IMO Christopher Denham's heart-shaped face doesn't convey enough malice for the role, so not a good casting choice, but he did a decent job nonetheless. Brandon Scott was a good choice for the role, and he was great in it. I enjoyed the story twist at the end, as it's more realistic, with none of that pretense of a happy ending that most Hollywood movies end with.

There is no mention of anyone's age here, although that is the main issue of the film. Lily moves with her old husband on his request to a geriatric home, where everyone is of an undefinable old age. Her husband has a heart attack, but he recovers, and by the medications of the home he has a startling recovery and becomes a new man. She even gets pregnant.

She has an old father who never approved of her marriage, and in spite of her husband's wishes, she visits him sometimes. He dies, like all old people do sooner or later, but no one seems to die at the Amaranth.

The doctor is engaged in pioneering experiments, and almost every pensioner at the place eats his yellow pills. Well, let's not embark on any spoilers.

The film is interesting, because there is no science fiction here, everything is quite realistic, and these things could very well be going on. Medical science always needs to go on researching, there is never any end to new discoveries and breakthroughs, but these always need experiments.

The film explores this research activity in a very subtle way without giving anything away or risking any improper allegations. It is beautifully made at that, the music is perfectly adapted, and especially if you are anywhere in the medical profession, this should make you think. Is this really ethically tolerable? Well, the medical pioneers and researchers have no choice but just have to continue experimenting and follow through what they have started.

While it seems like it's going to become a melodramatic, supercilious Lifetime type movie, it ends up treating a dicey subject a pretty objectively, giving the viewer an opportunity to form their own opinion, which I find refreshing in an era when every movie and TV show seems like imperious operant conditioning for convicted thought criminals.