On the way down?

It's always a little sad when favourites from the past seem to be trying just that little bit too hard to salvage what may or may not be left of their careers.  Two cases in point over the last few days:  Michael Keaton so very sure of his persona in the past, but looking weary and out of it in "White Noise", a not uninteresting study of a grieving widower trying to contact his late wife through electronic images, but also making contact with malevolent spirits.  Probably a lot of hooey, 'though not badly done, but hardly the vehicle for gaining a return to A-List status.  And then there is Sandra Bullock, never a great actress but a likeable screen presence and always a good sport.  Now that she is over 40, she can't really get away with her girl-next-door image, even when she tries to re-visit a previous hit with "Miss Congeniality 2", reprising the role of a tomboyish FBI agent given a makeover to a beauty queen. It was pleasant enough viewing and even had a few laughs, but in no way will it resurrect her career.  More's the pity since I like both actors.