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Blog by Don Kennedy

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Closing the Ring

Closing the Ring is the name of a brilliant book by Winston Churchill chronicling a critical time in the Second World War. This film of the same name is also about the Second World War but has nothing to do with Winston Churchill and is far from brilliant. Misha Barton who flamed out on the TV series The OC has resurfaced sharing a character with Shirley MacLaine - who is very good but no matter what she believes this role will not reincarnate her career. They both play Ethel Ann at the summer and winter of her life and when we meet her she still lives in Michigan a stones throw from her lifelong friend Jack. Christopher Plummer (who never looked so bored in a role) also shares that role of Jack with another former teenage angst TV star, Everwood’s Gregory Smith. Back in the 40’s he was one of three suitors for Ethel Ann but not the one she fell in love with. We catch up to everyone in the 1990’s with the passing of one of that trio who married Ethel Ann but we find out he was not the one that she was in love with. About this time seemingly unrelated events in sectarian divided Ireland involving a scrap metal collector (Pete Postlethwaite), a fresh faced kid and his granny plus a long ago engraved ring conspire to tell us the whole sad story. Often as corny as a GI ration of bully beef this Notebook wannabe takes a very long time to show that it’s not really even noteworthy.

 

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