‘Modern Woman’ Loses Patience Over ‘Shine’

As one of the “seriously misdirected” members of “modern womanhood,” I’m responding to Paul McCaig’s letter of March 1 (“The ‘English’ Boor, Really”). Count Almasy isn’t as much of an uncivilized boor as he imagines, he’s just proud. How’s he supposed to respond to the lady when, meeting him for the first time, she says she’s wanted to meet the man “who could write such a long book with so few adjectives”? I’d surely rather spend time in the broom closet with Ralph Fiennes’ count than on the trampoline with Geoffrey Rush’s cracked piano player. (Now there’s an uncivilized boor; I for one did not want to “know him better.”)

“The English Patient” may not be “Doctor Zhivago” (with its endless shots of daffodils), but “Shine” is certainly no “Amadeus.”

Not speaking for “modern womanhood” but only for myself.

JANET STREDICKE

Marina del Rey

Finally, someone has spoken out in print about the utterly tedious “The English Patient.” Thank you, Paul McCaig, for pointing out the thorough implausibility of the unlikable male lead played by Ralph Fiennes as if he were sucking lemons.

In addition, rave reviews are mislabeling it as an “epic romance,” a story of a wife’s callous, selfish and immoral betrayal of a perfectly nice husband who adores her. Reflect on the following: “The Bridges of Madison County,” “The Horse Whisperer” and “The English Patient,” in which cheating wives are romantic heroines. Whereas, in “Waiting to Exhale” and “The First Wives Club,” cheating husbands are just dogs.

Cheating is cheating and it’s not romance; it’s doggy behavior.

CAROLE DAUGHERTY

Cathedral City