I don't usually like movies or books that go back and forth constantly between the past and the present. I'm usually frustrated, lamenting over the lost art of a linear storyline. I'm glad I stuck it out and watched Closing the Ring; it was very entertaining.
The film starts at Shirley MacLaine's husband's funeral. Christopher Plummer sits outside with her during the service. Then, a flash to the past, with a young Shirley MacLaine surrounded by three adoring servicemen about to be shipped off to WW2. Which one is young Christopher Plummer? Which one is her husband? As the film continues, more mysteries are introduced. Neve Campbell can't understand her mother's attitude after her father's death. And in Ireland, Pete Postlethwaite is digging in a dangerous area, finding pieces of a wrecked WW2 airplane. Each flashback to the 1940s gives just one more piece to the ever-growing puzzle, and it keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. I kept pressing pause when I rented this movie with my mom to talk about what I thought would be revealed. Sometimes I was right, sometimes I was wrong, and that made the plot even more entertaining.
Probably because one of the first movies I remember seeing Christopher Plummer in was The Lakehouse, I never found him to be a very likable guy. He was so convincingly cold, I had a hard time seeing him as anything else. However, in Closing the Ring, Christopher Plummer gives a very different performance. I'm going to have to rethink my impression of him. In one scene, he burst into tears so naturally, I wanted to reach through the screen and embrace him in a tight hug.
While the younger actors in the movie aren't going to be nominated for Oscars anytime soon, the older folks make up for it. Shirley MacLaine looks beautiful, so if you're one of her fans, don't miss this one! And if you like WW2 movies, or movies that flash back and forth with a little mystery, you'll love it.
The film starts at Shirley MacLaine's husband's funeral. Christopher Plummer sits outside with her during the service. Then, a flash to the past, with a young Shirley MacLaine surrounded by three adoring servicemen about to be shipped off to WW2. Which one is young Christopher Plummer? Which one is her husband? As the film continues, more mysteries are introduced. Neve Campbell can't understand her mother's attitude after her father's death. And in Ireland, Pete Postlethwaite is digging in a dangerous area, finding pieces of a wrecked WW2 airplane. Each flashback to the 1940s gives just one more piece to the ever-growing puzzle, and it keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. I kept pressing pause when I rented this movie with my mom to talk about what I thought would be revealed. Sometimes I was right, sometimes I was wrong, and that made the plot even more entertaining.
Probably because one of the first movies I remember seeing Christopher Plummer in was The Lakehouse, I never found him to be a very likable guy. He was so convincingly cold, I had a hard time seeing him as anything else. However, in Closing the Ring, Christopher Plummer gives a very different performance. I'm going to have to rethink my impression of him. In one scene, he burst into tears so naturally, I wanted to reach through the screen and embrace him in a tight hug.
While the younger actors in the movie aren't going to be nominated for Oscars anytime soon, the older folks make up for it. Shirley MacLaine looks beautiful, so if you're one of her fans, don't miss this one! And if you like WW2 movies, or movies that flash back and forth with a little mystery, you'll love it.