Closing the Ring

A story written with admirable precision and, above all, directed with admirable precision, in which in the end there was not a single character and not a single extra scene. It's hard to find the right words. The performances of all the actors were perfect, the script was so incredible and yet so ordinary at the same time, every minute of the film revealed a new piece of the big puzzle, the ending was touching but also not cheap... Bravo. The interplay between Shirley McLaine and Christopher Plummer was a joy to behold, as was the creation of my favorite Pete Postlethwaite. (06/25/2012)

Too much sentimentality on a too cliché topic. Even though the old school Richard Attenborough often uses high-quality ingredients (actors, a skillfully interwoven and fitting plot), I can't help but feel that it was too tearful, unexciting, and above all, unjustified. An unusually old-fashioned film that doesn't have much chance of appealing to a wider audience today. Unfortunately, even the tinkling of the romantic string didn't sit well with me, and it seemed a bit more cumbersome than necessary. Maybe the director should retire after all. It was very noticeable. (12/21/2008)