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   Yes, I am aware that this movie was release a while back.  It has just recently come to rent and I finally watched it.  I must admit, I was looking forward to seeing it.  I really enjoyed the few other Pat O'Connor movies I've seen.   I really enjoyed Circle of Friends starring Minnie Driver and Chris O'Donnell.   I thought that Inventing the Abbotts was alright.  So, I thought I would enjoy this movie especially since Meryl Streep was starring in it.

    I became more excited when I heard that Rhys Ifans was in it.   He plays spike in the new film Notting Hill.  Also, Braveheart's Catherine McCormack was starring in it.  All of these things made me believe that the movie was going to be good.  I was disappointed though.

    Now, I have to admit right off that what I was looking forward to in the movie was not bad.  I liked all the actors that I knew going into the movie.   Sophie Thompson was wonderful in Emma and Kathy Burke was wonderful in Elizabeth, they also star in this film.  All of the actors mentioned turned in fine performances as did the supporting cast.  What was lacking here was the script/story.

    First of all, this is a fairly depressing story.  I wonder why it was told at all except to fit into the formulaic depressing pre-World War movies or the Irish struggle for survival movies.  It moves extremely slowly and predictably.

    Many parts of the story are begun and then either never touched again or just left sort of hanging.  What happens to Rose's boyfriend?  She said she left him but we also heard him threaten her...what happened there?  There are important issues that are only brushed over and then there are scenes which are most likely there for artistic purposes, but if they held a meaning, I missed it.

    Also, the characters are rich and full in the beginning of the film.   They hold a lot of potential.  Unfortunately, they go nowhere.  Noone changes.  Everyone stays the same, there is no self-actualization that the audience wants. 

    Like I said, the movie drags and I just wonder why the story was presented at all.  The dialogue has no punch to it and the only reason why the characters ARE as rich as the are is because of the fine performances delivered by the actors.

    For the few of you who might be drawn for the shots of Ireland's countryside or Bill Whelan's (Riverdance) score....forget about it.  There is nothing there worth seeing / hearing.

    The only reason why this movie gets 2 stars is because of the MARVELOUS acting.  Everyone does a good job.  This movie focuses on the unimportant things and leaves the good stuff hanging or unresolved.  I wasn't impressed.