Getting Sentimental

(Spoiler if you've not seen the last episode of Torchwood yet)

Speaking of which I had a little cry on Friday night at Torchwood. Family is used to it. I sobbed my heart out at the end of Blake's 7 and it's been downhill since then.

I had a feeling Owen wouldn't make it (or would continue not making it) but Tosh was a shock. Owen had started to show a soft side and Tosh had begun to toughen up and then they're gone. I'd wanted to see what they were going to develop into.

If character development means your end is near then Ianto may be at risk. And I've really liked the Everyman role he's taken. A bit of down to earth dry sarcasm. Nice.

However I don't sob at just anything. It has to be quality. If it's deliberately sentimental and slushy it has no effect at all. Most "women's films" leave me cold. I really, really, really hate that label. What kind of women are they targeted at? It's melodrama with a big C, which is usually what kills one of the main characters off with warning, and headlines and flashing lights so you know its coming. "I have a bad headache." Right, brain tumour.

That doesn't mean I hate films that have a mainly female cast. Calendar girls tackled many of the topics in melodrama but it wasn't over-sentimentalised. I watched that one surrounded by the WI who had turned out on mass. A bit… surreal.

And you have Descent, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, 8 Women and Volver. I could imagine meeting (and have met) women like those in real life. Except they don't tend to break into song every few minutes.

I'm struggling to think of a big budget Hollywood film that would fit here. Hmmm. Wonder why that is? Anyone able to suggest one?