PaulaMary

This is a very well-acted movie, first and foremost. I always adore Chris Cooper, who does an outstanding job, as always. Tommy Lee Jones and Ben Aflec are also quite good.

The movie is about the fallout of hubris and consumerism run amok. The men we meet are all "management" and live high on the hog. But it's also about the fact that while they are living beyond their means and not being prudent with their enormous salaries, losing their jobs has the same impact on their souls, their families and their future as an hourly guy in the manufacturing floor. Another reviewer mentioned the Kevin Costner character, who is scornful of management and rides his brother-in-law about how easy his life is. But his simplistic and narrow world view is no more helpful than that of the heartless CEO who sacrifices thousands of jobs to maintain his $22 million salary. It's just the scope and flavor of his arrogance that's different.

Ben's character learns what too many of us execs forget: our families would rather have us around and emotionally present than all the crap we fill our lives with. Each of the company men learns something from this experience and becomes a better man away from the company.

This is a great show, despite being predictable now and again. I love the characters and I love the soundtrack. Both Mary and Marshall are complicated and interesting people. Mary's family is as crazy as any family can be, but as the saying goes, every crazy family is crazy in it's own way. I wish we knew more about Marshall's life because he's easily one of the most interesting men on television, despite having no personal life whatsoever. He's well read and wry and very patient and insightful. Only drawback: I miss Robert Dershowitz!

My husband and I blew a rainy Saturday watching one episode after the next on Netflix. As rainy Saturdays go, it was a good one.

I really wanted to like this movie, as I like Bette and Colin very much! The story was interesting and should have been very compelling. So why didn't I make it all the way to the end? Because I cannot look at Helen Hunt without wincing. She is so incredibly emaciated it is painful to look at her. HELEN! EAT A FREAKING HAM SAMMICH. Or tuna.

Colin Firth was wonderful for as long as I could stand to watch. His character is so engaging. He bounces back and forth from English proper and rumbled Englishman to frantic and too blunt divorced man who's a giant, gaping wound. Bette, as ever balances charming and obnoxious like nobody's business! Her character is a roller coaster and manages to hide her vulnerability behind her usual bluster.

I don't know if Skeletor will scare off other viewers, but I hope someone, somewhere can get her to eat some damn thing.