"At The Movies

Closing The Ring (PG) * * *

Stars: Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, Neve Campbell Director: Sir Richard Attenborough Studio: Alliance Release Date: Oct. 17, 2008 Audience Suitability: PG Running Time: 119 Minutes Rating: * * *

Blind Love!

By ROBERT WALDMAN

Love among the ruins reaches new heights in Closing The Ring, a multi-decade romance from Alliance Films now running its course at Tinseltown (on Pender, free parking). True romantics will likely note similarities to previous love stories only here the story is bookended nicely by some pretty good acting.

War can make for some pretty strange bedfellows. Closing the Ring spans the globe but reaches its zenith right before World War II. Way down south we see the passion plays of one Ethel Ann and handsome Teddy Gordon. Being from the wrong side of the tracks makes a life together seem rather unlikely for the pair. Even if they had their families blessings a slight “interruption” from a war puts the dream on hold.

Bad things can happen in war times and Teddy sucks it all up with two buddies who accompany him overseas. Years laters we learn the love Ethel Ann had for Teddy was shrouded in uncertainty which haunts those survivors to this day.

Strong work from Shirley MacLaine (Irma La Douce) as the older Ethel Ann and Mischa Barton (Notting Hill) as her younger incarnation makes for a pretty nice contrast. Add on Canadian culture treasure Christopher Plumber (The Sound of Music) as a war-time friend, Neve Campbell (Scream) as a doting daughter and Martin McCann as an Irish visitor make Closing the Ring an eventful 118 minute journey.

Oscar winning director Sir Richard Attenborough (Gandhi) chooses a war love story and gives it a pretty authentic looking backdrop with Ms. MacLaine particularly effective and endearing as an aging bride trying to come to terms with a number of hidden crises.

Perhaps a touch slow and with a story-line that’s not too original takes some of the zest out of Closing The Ring. Redemption comes later on with a pretty good trip to Europe with some surprising visits from unusual sources to make Closing The Ring a pretty good romantic excursion.

Read more reviews by Robert at www.moviereviewssite.com "