through most of this movie and i be bore to death . it tell the story of a middle age man who would not grow up and have some affair with his student and then he fall in love . and that be basically it . tell for unbearable 2 hour or so . i must add that i love ben kingsley a an actor and but tend to not find penelope cruz especially interesting in her performance . her character in this movie be pretty dull ( no surprise there then ) and she be be portray a the beauty who be also profound ( well and that maybe a matter of taste and but i really do not find her that beautiful and and certainly the character be say to be profound and but it be not show ) . please . give me a break . just when i be about to almost leave the theatre and the movie get a dramatic turn by cruz character have cancer . i be actually angry because of this movie . i do have a case of cancer in my family and so i be familiar with the subject and thanks very much . but a movie that have basically no substance at all ( and just claim to be sophisticated and use all sort of clichés etc ) and then throw in the dramatic element of a terminal illness to make it a good movie . i find this manipulative and sorry and her character do not become interesting by have cancer . there be little character development ( maybe mostly for ben kingsley role ) and but the subject of people reach middle age and not want to grow up be just dead bore to me . he would not commit and yet he be in love with her and never forget her and whilst she love him too and but leave him due to lack of commitment and and then she reappear and tell him she have cancer . and he burst into tear ( actually the best moment and kingsley be very credible here ) and and be at her side to support her . add to all of this an even more dull son who appear somewhere in the middle of this painfully bad plot and want to talk to his father ( and we be already inform that they do not have the best relationship with each other ) . he have an affair . a a married man . oh my god . and it be so very bad act and that i actually felt in every second of that scene he be act . he be act . this be a movie . this be so not credible . i be sure this be not the intend reaction for the audience . so and all in all and let me summarize that i still feel this be a mainly uninteresting and dull and boring movie that have nothing new or really profound to tell and and that misuse the element of cancer ( or any serious illness and for that matter ) for it dramatic effect on the audience . i felt betray by this sort of emotional manipulation . i give 3 point because kingsley performance be a usual excellent . a bad movie remain a bad movie though and even if you add cancer to it . an uninteresting and not deeply explored character that be the so call sophisticated lady ( wishful thinking here . ) do not become incredibly interesting just because she be go to die soon . give me a break .