Customer Reviews

Closing the Ring ( Richard Attenborough's Closing the Ring ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I watched this film online and, since it appeared to be a low-budget film, I didn't expect very much, but as soon as Shirley MacLaine appeared, the power of the film became much more intense. Seeing her in this role reminded me of how moving she is on screen. I didn't realize until the credits came up that the film had been directed by Richard Attenborough. Shirley MacLaine makes this film worth watching. Christopher Plummer has an emotional scene that surprised me. And Martin McCann's performance was exceptional. I never expected to enjoy it as much as I did.

I don't know why this great movie wasn't shown here in the USA. It was made by one of the great movie makers, Sir Attenborough, stars Shirley McLain and Christopher Plummer and is a story about USA pilots in WWII. So far, you can't even rent the DVD here in the US. I saw the movie in Australia last year, 2007.

I picked up this movie as a rental the other day, mainly because it was directed by Sir Richard Attenborough, but also because it had Shirley Maclaine and Christopher Plummer in it. I was very pleased with the movie - it is a poignant story that deals with the themes of love, loss, redemption and healing.

The story begins with a memorial for WW II vet, Chuck Norris in a small town in the US. His daughter Marie [Neve Campbell] is grief-stricken but her mother, Chuck's widow Ethel [Shirley Maclaine] seems unmoved and casually smokes outside the funeral hall. She is joined by Chuck's good friend Jack [Christopher Plummer] and we are taken back via flashback to the 1940s when Ethel[Mischa Barton] was a young girl in love with Teddy [Stephen Amell] and whose close friends are Jack [Gregory Smith] and Chuck [David Alpay]. All three men are in love with Ethel, but it's Teddy who wins Ethel's heart. When WW II begins, the boys go off to war, but not before a secret marriage between Ethel and Teddy. When Teddy gets killed in action whilst flying over Belfast,Ireland Ethel is grief-stricken and comforted by Jack and Chuck.

Back in the present, Ethel finds herself reminiscing about the past to herself, but is surly and silent with her daughter Marie who is bewildered by her mother's lack of grieving over Chuck's death. It is only when a young Irish lad Jimmy [Martin McCann] finds the gold wedding ring belonging to Teddy on Black Mountain in Belfast and contacts Ethel, that the past starts to unravel and Ethel finds herself having to confront some hard truths, including some surprising revelations.

The story itself flows well and the plot is cohesive. I did find the sub-plot in the present with the IRA conflict in Northern Ireland [and Jimmy's inadvertent involvement in it] a bit distracting, but it did prove important in tying the loose ends together at the end.

The acting by the leads was very convincing, especially by Maclaine and Plummer as the older Ethel and Jack. The actors playing the younger roles back in the 1940s also did a credible job, especially Mischa Barton as the young Ethel.Martin McCann as young Jimmy was quite adorable in his role as the naive Irish lad with a tendency towards plain speaking. There are nude scenes in this movie [Ethel as played by Mischa] and some violence [bombings and shootings by the IRA and also government agents].

All in all, I found "Closing the Ring" to be a well-acted romance/family drama and would recommend it to fans of the genre.

I'd never heard of this film, but given the impressive cast and crew involved (Richard Attenborough, for Pete's sake? Speaking of Petes, Pete Postelwaithe is here, too!), I thought it might be worth a go. And while the cast and crew do a serviceable job for the most part (ranging anywhere from great to poor), it's the script that really kills this one. More specifically, the dialogue. There is a good story somewhere in here (maybe a great story), but the words actually spoken are quite often so trite, cliched and cornball that not even such magnificent actors as Christopher Plummer and Shirley MacLaine can overcome it. Sounds harsh, I know, but it really is that bad, particularly during the wartime flashbacks, which are painfully cheesy. I only sat through the movie to see how it wrapped up and how all the connections worked and everything, but even the ending is underwhelming.

This was an wonderful film. It brought together two cultures and two periods in history in beautiful ways. The story was very sad and I felt it told more than just an isolated story. In many ways this was the story of the generation robbed of their youth, hopes and dreams by the terrible reality of WWII. However, the film was also incredibly funny. The Irish added tremendous comical detail, if you got it that is. Richard Attenborough created a lovely piece.

I really enjoyed this movie. Shirley MacLaine does an exellent job acting her parts. Many of her newer movies are better than the ones near the start of her career. And this is one of those movies. I will enjoy watching this movie again.

This is a well put together movie but I can't rate it over a 3 because it's too sad to be overly enjoyable to me.

Life's hard enough without falling in love is almost a quote from the movie. Of coarse if not for a war things wouldn't likely turn out that way so you might say war sucks is the obvious message you'll get out of it.

To be honest, I've been watching a lot of the OC on soapnet recently & bought this used for the topless scenes of Mischa Barton. If that's what you're looking for you will get a nice direct but short butt & 2 breast (one frontal & one side) shots.

I did enjoy the movie despite the sad events but I'd suggest a rental not a purchase. I can't see much appeal in watching it more than once. Used you can buy it for little more than a rental price if you think you will want to own it ... say if you're a Mischa Barton fan & want to check her out now & then but I'd rather just watch the OC myself.

This story was written around a real event that happened--the finding of a ring. I got this movie, because Mischa Barton was in it, and in my opinion, she is one of the most beautiful women in the world. She is also a good actor. However, I was blown away by this movie, because it is so much more than I expected. It covers two periods--the 1940s and currently, and in two different countries--the United States and Ireland.

A young woman (Mischa Barton) sends her newly married husband off to World War II, never to see him again. Shirley MacLaine plays the young woman grown old with time. The story is told through flashbacks to her earlier life, and cutaways to present day Ireland.

Christopher Plummer is excellent as the older version of the boy who wanted to marry her himself, but she was in love with his friend. He came back from the war, and has stood by her the ensuing decades even though she ultimately married another man.

This is a story about love. The losing of it, and coming to terms with that loss late in life. This is a surprising good movie no one every heard of.

Great movie. Unique storyline, flows well. About love, loss & healing. Attend movies every week. Have never seen anything that matches it. With the exception of Notebook. Well acted with Shirley McLaine, Christopher Plummer, Mischa Barton. Enjoyed it very much. Told my friends and family, there opinions matched mine.

Love can be sought and found along with forgiveness, redemption,loss, and holding on. War makes all these things much more serious and uncertain to every character in this wonderful movie. From direction to every actors performance, I was taken on a journey that was a window into the hearts and minds of the young, the old, the cultures of Ireland and the U.S.A. as well as the transformation that can come through allowing the whole truth to emerge. This is a wonderful film and I highly recommend it to anyone who needs closure in any part of life.