antoniotierno This wasn't a successful movie at all. A love story aimed at an older audience, the kind of movie watchers preferring exposition to explosions. It can be defined a quality World War II drama that deserves to be more just another TV broadcast. The promise is the kind that might seem overly melodramatic if heard in a movie set in contemporary times but it is at home with the wartime realities so effectively rendered in Closing the Ring. Attenborough is a past master at this type of drama and shifts a lot between the decades, avoiding the confusion so common to non-linear films like this. The resemblance between the younger and older actors isn't striking, but their performances make this a minor issue.

juneebuggy I enjoyed this one quite a bit, set in two time zones and countries with a more than decent cast. There's mystery, a heartbreaking romance, and an exciting (yet convenient) conclusion in Ireland.The story flips fairly seamlessly between 1991 and 1943, starting with the passing of World War II veteran Chuck Harris. His wife (Shirley MacLaine) refuses to grieve, numbing herself with alcohol and lashing out at her daughter (Neve Campbell) and lifelong friend (Christopher Plummer).Through a series of flashbacks where Shirley becomes (Mischa Barton), we learn that Chuck wasn't her first love and that her heart belonged to Teddy (Stephen Amell) who never returned from WW2. We also see Belfast in 1991 where (Pete Postlethwaite) - love him and young Jimmy are digging on a mountainside finding bits of pieces from a downed B-17 bomber, eventually they discover a ring inscribed from Teddy to Ethel and after tracking down its history a mystery nearly five decades in the making slowly comes into focus.The story is very good story but a bit all over the place where the characters emotions are concerned, which are over the top at times and mean without reason. Shirley is especially nasty to her daughter but even Plummer has his moments.The acting was fantastic though, the flashbacks well done, I was surprised to see Stephen Amell's 'Arrow' in an early role. The story in Ireland was more involved than I thought it would be including gangsters and IRA bombings. I enjoyed Martin McCann as young Jimmy and the inclusion of the hawk to tie it all together. Sad. 11/8/15

SnoopyStyle It's 1991 Branagan, Michigan. Marie (Neve Campbell) is burying his dead father Chuck. Her mother Ethel Ann (Shirley MacLaine) is unmoved by his death and more concerned about Marie and her boyfriend Peter. She is comforted by Jack (Christopher Plummer). In Belfast, Quinlan (Pete Postlethwaite) and Jimmy Reilly are digging up the wreckage of a B-17. Jimmy finds a ring. Back in 1941 Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ethel Ann (Mischa Barton) is friends with Jack (Gregory Smith) and Chuck. Teddy Gordon (Stephen Amell) is building a house for her and she's in love. Jack, Chuck and Teddy are all going up in B-17.The movie moves back and forth too much and too easily between the time periods in the beginning. The three plot lines don't mash together well. The modern day Irish story is stuck out in the middle of nowhere with its own world. Jimmy could have just showed up with the ring without Belfast. Richard Attenborough is going old school with this romance drama. There is something lacking in the 1941 story. The actors are probably not up to the same standard as their older self. Gregory Smith's little mustache is silly. David Alpay and Stephen Amell are lifeless. Mischa Barton tries but she's too frail unlike the ballsy broad that is Shirley MacLaine. It's probably asking too much for the two young actors to try to be MacLaine and Christopher Plummer. Those two elder statesmen exude real acting power. Their section with Neve Campbell is a great little indie.

phd_travel First of all this movie is worth watching. A historical film with a good director and attractive cast are the redeeming qualities.Mischa is lovely and her young beaus are fresh faced and earnest. It's a bit of a stretch having Shirley McLaine as her older self. Neve Campbell's character is annoying and she is too sulky looking.The storyline is a little over ambitious and confusing. The story should have been told without so much flashbacks - it was confusing because so much time and incidents and places are covered. Also the WWII element is a little bit of a let down since no real action takes place its just an accident in Ireland. Maybe it was too much ground to cover with the IRA storyline as well but they were trying for an epic.