Vaughan Melzer

Picture House cinema described this as 'a comedy'!!!!!!! Perhaps I haven't got a sense of humour. I was a specialist social worker with the elderly for several years. I was shocked at how the official deciding on the elderly couple's financial allowance was without any insight, or care. The interview was superficial in the extreme. This either reflected on lazy story-telling, or on an appalling German system. The elderly have complex problems but the film was more interested in creating complex relationships than giving a true and honest picture of a family in some trouble. Even with all her problems the incontinent (with number 2s!!!) elderly wife was calculating when her kind neighbour offered to help on a regular basis for pay, by forcing her hourly charge downwards with coldness. Maybe... but it didn't ring true. The couple's son though not entirely callous, wasn't believable either and pretty useless. Yes, that is possible but in my experience most (adult) children show more care and thought even when they don't love their parents overly much.. I admit I Ieft 50' before the end but I couldn't stand the unpleasantness of all the main characters, nor the coldness being shown to an elderly couple, and because I had no confidence that the film would bring about any positive experience or thought by its end.

I have always enjoyed Fiona Bruce's shows on TV (mainly - Antiques Roadshow; Fake or Fortune). However, since seeing her on Question Time with Diane Abbott it has shown me another side of her: where she stands politically and what she thinks of those who would disagree with her. Her enjoyment at putting Diane Abbott straight/down was quite plain to see and judging from the things she said in the warm up as reported, she made her dislike, even contempt, for Diane Abbott quite clear to the public. (David Dimbleby, although he may well be politically on the same side as Fiona Bruce, was always professional and trying to be fair) I find I can't look at Fiona Bruce now without thinking of her using her powerful position to hurt Diane Abbott. She has, for me, sullied herself.