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13 out of 14 people found the following review useful: Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!, 15 June 2003 Author: swest2 from Calif.
I originally watched this movie to see Ciaran Hinds (the college professor) who was wonderful in a supporting role.I love this movie. It is so powerful in its simplicity. The actors were so embracable in their portrayals as young adults in the 50's with all the sexual taboos. The scenery is grand!I watch this movie at least once a month and have recommended it to many friend who also enjoy it. (If you are into Irish countrysides you might want to watch "The Matchmaker" with David O'Hara - v. good also.)
11 out of 12 people found the following review useful: A movie with universal appeal and charm., 1 February 1999 Author: rondine (susan.rondine@cox.net) from Mesa, AZ
A movie that is at turns witty, charming, heartbreaking and truthful. There are many kinds of movies, and an entertaining and joyful movie is not the least of these. This is the kind of movie you can watch over and over again & never tire of it. The performances are fresh and sincere, and the script and direction are flawless. I recommend this movie if you want to see a slice of life that is simple and frank in how we relate to each other as human beings.
8 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Friendship, 22 December 2005 Author: jotix100 from New York
Perhaps not having read Maeve Binchy's book, in which this film is based, and never seeing the film when it was released, helped this viewer to enjoy it, perhaps more than most people that saw it in its commercial debut. Pat O'Connor and his adapter, Andrew Davies, give us a portrait about the friendship of three young girls in the story, as they go from childhood to womanhood in the Ireland of some time ago.We meet the three friends as the film opens. There are Benny, Eve and Nan, who are inseparable. They grow up and their relationship continues right through adulthood. The three friends go to university and we see them attending Professor Flynn's class, which seems to be the girls' favorite teacher.Nan, the prettiest of the three has no prospects of marrying into money. She decides to go after Simon Westwood, a wrong choice that turns out even worse when she discovers he couldn't care less for her. He just wants to marry money and she doesn't have it. Eva, the orphan girl brought up by nuns, has no prospects either, but she has a cottage in the country that Nan finds convenient for exploring her sexuality with Simon.The best adjusted of the three friends is plain Benny, who seems destined to marry her father's clerk, the reptilian Sean. She has her eyes set on Jack Foley, the hunky jock. Jack in turn likes her, but things intervene between them.Minnie Driver, is a marvelous presence in the film. She makes the plain Benny come alive. Saffron Burrows is perfect as the vain and beautiful Nan. Geraldine O'Rawe plays Eve. Chris O'Donnell is Jack Foley, who makes a good impression. Alan Cumming, Colin Firth and Ciaran Hinds are perfect in their supporting roles."Circle of Friends", while not breaking any ground, is still a good movie to watch because Pat O'Connor's direction and the ensemble acting cast.
6 out of 7 people found the following review useful: This might have been better if I hadn't read the book, 27 October 2005 Author: hbrookshaw from Australia
As a "stand alone" this film is quite passable. If, however, you are a fan of Maeve Binchy and have read the book, you will probably spend a good deal of the film comparing the two, and the film comes off unfavourably. Some of the differences are minor, but the ending is completely different. I have no intention of comparing the two endings here as I don't want to be a spoiler, suffice it to say that if you have read the book, the film ending is a major disappointment. I also think that Benny was totally miscast. That the Benny of the book is a big woman is relevant to the storyline, whereas Minnie Driver, although quite tall, can't be called big under any stretch of the imagination. The film characters seemed wooden to me in comparison with the book characters. However, if you're not into reading books, the film is worth watching.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Touching but flawed Irish college soap opera, 25 March 2006 Author: roghache from Canada
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This rating reflects my ambivalent feelings about the movie...I seem to recall the novel (which I read some years ago) as having a little more depth than the sexual experiences (or lack thereof) of its three heroines. The film comes off as a bit of a soap opera, 1950's Irish style. Although I'm not Catholic myself, my main problem with the movie (and Maeve Binchy's novels, to some extent) is the constant irritating depiction of the Catholic church as an oppressive institution that exists more or less for the primary purpose of sexually repressing its adherents. Also, the producers should have done some very basic research into Catholic traditions. As another reviewer also noted, it is extremely obvious (and not only to Catholics) that the opening religious ceremony in the film is not the three girls' Confirmation at all but their First Communion. The movie thus lost credibility to me from the outset.The movie tells the story of three Irish friends who are embarking upon their college days...Benny, a rather biggish (supposedly) self conscious girl, Eve, a quiet orphan raised by nuns, and Nan, a lovely would be sophisticate who sets her cap for the young Protestant country squire, Simon. For business purposes, Benny's father is encouraging his shop employee, Sean, to court his daughter. However, Benny has fallen in love with a handsome college classmate and rugby star named Jack. Meanwhile, Nan and Simon are conducting a clandestine affair in Eve's cottage. After Nan discovers that she is pregnant, Simon indicates that he has no intention of marrying a girl of her social / financial status and suggests an abortion. To get out of her pickle, Nan then proceeds to seduce Jack and attempt to pass her baby off as his child. Read the above... doesn't it all sound like a soap? Who's sleeping with who? Anyway, carrying on...Minnie Driver gives a marvelous, sympathetic portrayal of Benny, a young girl insecure over her appearance, caught up in her first love and awakening desires, pursued by an unwelcome suitor, trapped with familial obligations following her father's sudden death, and ultimately betrayed by her boyfriend and one of her best friends. She's beautiful at the dance when she first reveals her vulnerability to Jack. I agree with those who claim that Benny is not sufficiently large for the role, not 'big as a rhinoceros' at all...attractive figure, just pudgy face...but that's a minor detail. Chris O'Donnell is perfect as her dashing young love, convincing in his devastated reaction to the news of Nan's pregnancy and choosing to unhappily but nobly do the right thing, marry the girl. He's much more sympathetic in the movie, where he has only a one night moment of madness with Nan, than in the novel, where it's more of an affair. Eve seems well cast, but Sean's pilfering, lecherous, peeping tom character is definitely overdone, almost a caricature, as others have also noted. Nan's character is well captured here, as the viewer (this one, at least) has sympathy for her genuine sense of giving herself to Sean when she loses her virginity, her betrayal by him when he hears of her pregnancy, and even to some extent her dastardly deed to both Jack and Benny for her own selfish interests. One point well brought out is that while Nan believes herself to have contempt for Catholicism, when it comes to abortion, we see that she has internalized at least some of the teachings of her faith.Of course the Irish music is fantastic and the country scenery beautiful, the green hills, streams, and meandering roads. I was less impressed that the professor's lecture topics just happened to involve the sexual practices of savages. I certainly don't recall that from the novel, though it's been awhile. What is the likelihood that this would have been the class subject matter for a coed freshman class in Ireland back in the 1950's?The film has a different ending than the novel, which will disappoint some readers. Normally this would infuriate me, but I found surprisingly that I didn't mind. In the book, Benny forgives Jack and remains friends with him, but, having gained confidence and a sense of independence, moves on with her life. Here of course we see a less complex storybook type ending with the couple getting together. Pity she has sex with him at the end...of course with a parting dig at the Catholic Church ('Bless me, Father, for I have sinned'). At least it's apparently at Benny's own instigation, not in response to pressure from Jack. The movie is really mainly sex...either wanting it, talking about it, or having it. Not much else to the story.So...yes, a mixed review. Not the best morals and a certain mocking of Catholic teachings (or Christian teachings, in general), but kind of a touching story of first love, a sympathetic heroine, and that lovely Irish scenery.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Unpretentious romantic drama; sweet but not memorable, 10 February 2002 Author: Mona (monabassil@hotmail.com)
First of all, I've never read the novel by Maeve Binchy, so I'm not going to make a comparison between the book and the movie.The plot: Set in the 50s. Three young Irish girls with distinguish personalities get their share of lessons about friendship, love, family, betrayal and college life.The characters:Minnie Driver is very convincing as Benny, the straightforward, sensitive, caring, and humorous virgin with plum curves, a radiant smile, and expressive eyes. She is an only child and lives with her modest family, taking the bus on a daily basis to go to college in Dublin.Chris O'Donnell is Jack Foley, a wealthy medical student and rugby star. He is attractive and a tad naive. He and Benny fall in love, their attempts to get close to each other, both in the physical and the emotional sense, are clumsy (because they lack experience), but sincere and touching.Geraldine O'Rawe is Eve, Benny's lifetime friend, an orphan who was raised by the nuns but who has enough guts to ask for and obtain a scholarship, and stand up for Benny against Nan when need be. The pretty Saffron Burrows plays Nan, Benny and Eve's childhood friend, who left the village early to live with her family in Dublin. She is very aware of her attractive looks, and attempts to use her wannabe sophistication to trap a wealthy man into marriage when she becomes pregnant with his baby (predictable). But the man rejects her (again, predictable), and so she betrays Benny by seducing Jack and claiming afterwards that she is carrying his child.Alan Cumming is excellent as Sean Walsh, Benny's father's employee who constantly attempts to seduce the young girl, to no avail. You will probably hate him in this role, he truly is despicable, manipulative, sexually obsessed, voyeur, irritating, etc. His hairstyle (a fringe on the right please) and suspenders make him look ridiculous. In one word, Walsh is a real pain, but Cumming gives an excellent performance here. His sleezy mimics cannot go unnoticed.The Irish landscape, with its hilltops, pittorresque rivers, woods, small roads, and adorable cottages is one of the fine aspects of the movie.There isn't much to analyse here, the story line is simple and the dialog pretty straightforward. The overall atmosphere of the film is friendly, warm and 'cozy'. There is definitely an emotional bond between Benny and the viewers, unless you're too much of a cynic to sympathize with a sensitive, self-conscious, modest girl set on a (realistic) journey of womanhood.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: one of my favorites!, 17 October 2002 Author: Rachel Butler (rachelb-2) from Charleston, West Virginia
I love this movie it is one of my faves! I read the book before I saw the movie and Usually I am disappointed by the movies if i read the book first...but not in this case..it stays true to the book and minnie driver does an excellent job as "Benny"! Chris O'Donnell plays the role of jack magnificently! Benny may not be the most beautiful of her friends but she can still win over the most handsome guy! A great movie and a definite must see!
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: A Tale Of Untruths, 30 January 2006 Author: Jennifer May (skylightangl@msn.com) from Baltimore, Maryland
Spoilers in this review, please do not read if you don't want the movie ruined.I read the book and to be honest, was very bored with it from the start, but once I start a book, I always finish. Well, about a day after I finished the book, I found the movie online and decided to buy it and figured maybe it would be better. I was so very wrong. Minnie Driver isn't even close to being "a barrel of a girl" or an "elephant" as she was called in the book many many times. You could even see her bones popping out of her skin through most of the movie.The whole point of the book and the story is that you don't have to be a beauty or thin or perfect. Benny seemed to be the same size as the other girls with a little chubbier face. They also completely changed the ending, she turns Jack down flat and moves on with her life (in the book) instead of pining away over the man who broke her heart and ending up back with him.(in the movie) I have many more complaints about the differences but I will spare you.Both the movie and the book are pretty much boring, I wouldn't waste your time with either of them.
6 out of 10 people found the following review useful: What happened to Chris O'Donnell?, 21 September 2004 Author: Spuzzlightyear from Vancouver
Oh sure, I know he must be out there doing something. But I recently saw this for the 2nd time, the first time at a second run movie house and I just fell in love with movie again. Chris O'Donnell and Minnie Driver (what happened to HER?) have great (but not amazing) chemistry going between them, and throughout the movie I was also saying, "who is that weasely looking chap playing the father's assistant in the haberdashery shop?" Only to find out it was Alan Cummings! (blush). I did like the love story, but the whole pregnancy angle seemed a bit too forced, and the whole mystery being solved at the end in one full swoop was a bit much. Still, it was nice to see O'Donnell acting before he sold himself out and started doing dreadful movies.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: Sweet and refreshing, 5 December 2000 Author: witchy_mac from Florida, USA
This is the first movie I ever saw with Minnie Driver, and I loved how the director made her get porked up for the role. We were meant to see the inner beauty of Benny, of course, but also to see that occasional external loveliness that can come through in her purely emotional situations.Of course, I thought Nan was acting rather like a whore when she bedded Jack for all the wrong reasons, just as the audience was meant to despise such an act. As a whole, my emotions were pulled in all the right directions, so kudos to the directing crew!A story of love, friendship, curiosity, betrayal, and forgiveness that hits all the right chords.
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