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Movie review: Wallowing family drama 'Nostalgia' is a bitter and moody pill
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Jon Hamm stars as Will in Nostalgia. - photo by Josh Terry
"NOSTALGIA" 2 stars Ellen Burstyn, Bruce Dern, Jon Hamm, Catherine Keener; R (some language); in general release

Nostalgia is a 114-minute film that feels like it could have made its point as a 20-minute short. Instead, director Mark Pellingtons moody effort meanders from place to place, lingering ponderously and leaving audiences with a message that feels a little too ambiguous.

Meant to be a meditation on material and not-so-material attachments, Nostalgia opens with an insurance agent named Daniel (John Ortiz) who has been called in to inspect the property of an elderly man named Ronnie (Bruce Dern). After Daniel deals with Ronnie and his concerned granddaughter (Amber Tamblyn), he next turns up at the aftermath of a house fire, where he meets a widow named Helen (Ellen Burstyn).

But right as we think Nostalgia is going to follow Daniel through a series of poignant encounters with various bereaved clients, the story instead attaches to Helen as she travels to Las Vegas to appraise one of the few valuables to survive the fire: a baseball autographed by Ted Williams.

Here, Helen meets a memorabilia dealer named Will (Jon Hamm), and the two have a touching conversation about how her family connection to the ball will be lost once it enters the collectors market. And thats the last we see of Helen, because now Nostalgia decides to follow Will as he travels to his childhood home to scour through his parents old belongings with his sister Donna (Catherine Keener).

Will is the closest thing to a protagonist in a film that isnt quite an ensemble piece, and he gets the closest thing to a character arc as hes forced to consider the genuine value of the goods people such as Helen and his parents cling to for years and years.

Nostalgias most poignant moment comes later in the context of a family tragedy that wont be detailed here, but it might make audiences think hard about how best to compile family histories in a digital world.

Pellingtons film seems to have a lot to say about the nature of attachment, materialism and the difference between history and junk and it literally says a lot, through a number of ponderous speeches but the message never feels fully realized. Instead, Nostalgia seems to wander, unsure of where it wants to go, choosing instead to wallow in the sorrow of its characters.

Of those characters, Will's sister is given the most to work with, and though Will feels like more of a protagonist, Donna feels like the heart of the film. (Keeners grief-stricken language is also the only thing that takes this otherwise PG-level film into R-rated territory.)

The wandering device which moves from a focus on tiny trinkets to more meaningful things feels like a nice idea that still needs a rewrite or two. Since so much time is spent on Wills family later on, Nostalgias earlier scenes begin to feel superfluous as the film goes on.

Other films cover their stories in sweet nostalgia the way kids pour chocolate syrup on ice cream, but to Pellington who also directed Arlington Road and The Mothman Prophecies nostalgia is a bitter pill, tied to misery and loss. In this world, Nostalgia is a long drag.

"Nostalgia" is rated R for some language; running time: 114 minutes.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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