A few nights ago, Dr. Feelgood and I watched The Idea of You. If you live in the States, you’ve probably seen one of the bazillion article/videos about this Amazon produced film.

Critics have, given that it is a straight up romance (unlike the book which inspired it), mostly liked it. It’s lauded for its nuance portrayal of a woman of 40 as well as the way it shows the dark side of celebrity.

The NYT’s reviewer wrote:

More than once, I was struck by how authentically 40 Solène seemed to me — a woman capable of making her own decisions, even ones she thinks might be ill-advised — and how weirdly rare it is to see that kind of character in a movie.

The Guardian said:

But while the film’s message, that women over 40 have every right to romantic fulfilment, is empowering, it also acknowledges that finding love with an impossibly pretty, sweet-natured pop star comes with its own unique set of challenges.

Sure, it’s also received lots of lukewarm reviews but, for a romance, it’s certainly had a lot of positive attention sent its way.

I could barely sit through it.

For starters, how patently absurd is it that a woman who looks like this would be insecure about her looks?

I just couldn’t get past it.

In what has to be the least likely scene in the film–the first being when her teenage daughter calls her on her landline (most teens don’t even know what that is!)–Hathaway’s character Solène encounters the groupie girlfriends of her boyfriend’s bandmates out by the pool. The young women are all wearing itty bitty bikinis. Seeing them, Solène panics about how she looks in her tank and comes out dressed like this:

Please. It’s impossible to buy.

Especially because earlier in the film, she showed up ready for, ah, action, in this outfit.

This is not the choice of a woman who feels uncomfortable in her own skin.

I had other complaints about the movie (my daughter points out that, as usual, I missed the point of mindless entertainment). For a movie that turns on celebrity as the issue that challenges our couple (the age difference isn’t a big deal after they decide to get involved), the paparazzi comes and goes as aids the plot. The teenage daughter is far too mature for her role. The actual vexing issues underlying the age gap are never mentioned.

Mostly though, I find it beyond irksome that a woman who looks, sounds, and lives like Anne Hathaway (and, for that matter Solène) is trumpeted as the poster child for an authentic woman over 40.

I don’t think so.

If Solène had looked like this women–they’re so lovely!–perhaps the movie might not have seemed so insulting to those of us who are actually (way) over 40 and aging realistically.

But this woman? Not a chance.

Have you seen the movie? Am I too cranky? What did you think?