Umberto D (1955)

Yes, yes. I know that this is supposed to be an affecting thesis about the way a country (and countrymen) can turn its back on the elderly -- how a pension just isn't enough to pay for even a meager existence.

I realize that I was supposed to experience a sympathetic feeling of shame as he tried to beg without getting "caught" by anyone he knew. I know my heartstrings should've been pulled as he resorted to faking an illness to be put up in a hospital, free of charge. I know I should've really felt for the guy as he forced himself to give away his beloved dog and contemplate suicide.

The problem? There's no reason to like the guy -- and it's hard to care about someone just because you should.

C-