I am the first to admit it. I am no big film buff. Directors, producers etc do not mean much to me. I know what I like and I tend to stick with it. Thus there are certain films I can go back to time and time again just because they are familiar, comfortable and give me loads of pleasure watching them. Often they are what you would call girly films but not necessarily corny romantic comedies.
Circle of Friends starring Minnie Driver Colin Firth and Chris o Donnel is based on the best selling Maeve Binchy novel is certainly in this list of familiar films that I love. I picked the video up at a car boot sale or about a pound and turn to it with a packet of Prinfgles when the weather is horrible outside and there is nothing on the television.
The film made in 1995 is a coming of age romantic drama set in 1950s Ireland. The main plot sees two young girls leaving school and to some extent their childhood village of Knockglen for the bright
lights of Dublin to attend the university there. Here alongside the academic life they make new friends rekindle old friendships and fall in love
This film is a must watch for me for a number of reasons. I truly like most of the characters and empathise with them. The heroine of the film played by Minnie Driver is Bernadette Hogan or Benny to her friends and family. She is the only daughter of a shopkeeper in the village of Knockglen and is a totally lovable character. She is vivacious and lively but not too confident about herself due to being slightly larger than she would like. You feel her embarrassment at having to catch the evening bus back home and thus having to miss social activates that her peers attend. You cheer her on when the delectable golden boy jack Foley (played by Chris o Donnel, of Robin fame) takes an interest in her. All girls want Mr Right and it seems that Benny has him.
I also like Eve Malone (Geraldine o Rawe), Benny’s quieter friend. She is in a way the tragic character who was brought up by the ever present nuns(where would an Irish film or book be without the nuns) having lost her mother in childbirth and her father soon after.
Like all simple tales there are the bad guys (and girls). Sean Walsh (Alan Cummings) is an employee in Benny’s father’s firm and has his slimy paws on Benny to try and muscle his way into the family business. He is creepy, horrible, not to be trusted and the complete nemeses of Jack Foley.
The film has n evil bitch in the shape of Nan Machin (Saffron Burrows). In the film she was a childhood friend of Eve and Benny who moved away to Dublin (the book is different as it always is) only to be reunited with them on the first day of university. She is ambitious, manipulative and will get anything she wants from English landlord and posh totty Simon Westwood (Colin Firth) to other unavailable men. She seems to be a nasty piece of work but perhaps is a young frightened girl who gets herself into situations such as an unplanned and much frowned upon pregnancy.
The film is easy on the eye with golden scenes of Irish countryside and the best Dublin has to offer. It’s also easy on the ear peddling Irish accents that sometimes are just that little to bit fake and would suit a Saint Patrick’s Day leprechaun in an American parade or an Irish theme bar.
The film also wallows in fifties nostalgia especially in the dance and cinema scenes with floaty fifties frocks and bands with all the rock and roll hits alongside more gentler big band sounds.
The film is a wonderful coming of age drama. The full complexity of emotion is explored with the excitement of first love alongside the confusion and guilt about sexual feelings caused by the strict Catholic church. This film is a fifteen as it does have sexual content including an attempted rape but it is often more hinted at, or noises rather than full on shots of sexual activity.
The main disadvantage of the film is that it is not the book. I saw the film first then read the book. I found that the book to be more in depth with more emphasis on Eve and Nan, that events were slightly different in the book as was the ending.
The other problem is that this film seems to be out of production on video althopugh you can buy the DVD very cheaply. it is £5.67 on Amazon
Still I really like this film. I would suggest it be ideal viewing for a girls’ nigh in bonding session. It realty is not a guys film. Duskman thought it was ok but I am sure he really did not get it.
Al in all Circle of Fiends is a simple but involving romantic drama with characters you care about that makes your feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1966 - Drama - Director: Stanley Donen - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Albert Finney, Eleanor Bron, William Daniels, Nadia Gray, Claude Dauphin
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Aah, 50s nostalgia and an easy on the eye film. I'be been meaning to watch this for ages, but never seem to get round to it. Yet again another very good review which gives just the right amount of details, and whats wrong with fake irish accents, beejezus, mary,mother and jospeh.
gypsyangel 16.12.2004 11:24
Good review.I really enjoyed this film.
JeeanA 29.08.2004 22:49
I agree, it's a good film but the book's better. Like you I saw the film first and was surprised at the amount of 'artistic license' they used in the film, which is a great pity, as there's things they appeared to drop from the film that would have benefited it, I felt. Good review though, thanks for that! :o)
The same year as the BBC'sPride and Prejudice(1995) writer Andrew Davies and star Colin ... more
Firth were also hard at work onCircle of Friends, an Irish romance brought to the big screen by director Pat O'Connor (Dancing at Lughnasa). It's 1957 and three sma...
Postage & Packaging: £2.69 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
![Circle Of Friends [VHS] [1995]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/74879604.jpg "Circle Of Friends [VHS] [1995]")
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![Circle Of Friends (Special Edition) [DVD] [1995]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78164830.jpg)
