A charming Irishman and a really bad movie...

Hi, is this 1-900-hot-lips?

Apart from having a really unfortunate movie title, Closing the Ring is also a bad film. I hate to say this, seeing as some people I really like are in it such as Christopher Plummer and Gregory Smith. Neve Campbell must have taken some acting lessons too, as she shines as one of the MANY characters in this movie.

I don't want to go on about it too much but it was basically about as good as a Lifetime movie of the week...which isn't really good at all. Bad acting, ridiculously cheesy dialog and an overcomplicated script all lent to the downfall of this film. I mean, the idea was there, where it fails is in the execution. I can't really understand how this happened with Richard Attenborough at the helm and a mostly great cast.

The two leads who played the young lovers, Mischa Barton and Stephen Amell, were just awful. I admit it was partially due to the script that was so complicated and confusing that I felt like I was watching a family reunion...now who is that again Mom? Aunt Ethel? Never heard of her. They're also just pretty terrible actors too. They were supposed to be two great lovers like Romeo and Juliet or Satine and Christian, but they ended up more like Joni and Chachi, and bland versions at that.

I don't understand why I heard good things about Closing the Ring. You know, it probably would have been more entertaining if it was actually a porno as the title suggests (I get a giggle from anyone who I mention this movie to).

Ha ha good one, Mischa Barton...oh wait, you're serious?

The one saving grace for this film is Martin (or Marty) McCann, the young Irish dude with the billion watt smile. He plays a super innocent kid who finds the ring of the title. He's so lovable and harmless that you almost want to jump in the screen and give him a cuddle. Every time he was on screen I felt as though I were watching a different film. I really hope to see tons more of Marty McCann, who is my pick for "Find of 2008". He has MAJOR acting skills and is a real treat to watch. It's such a shame that his performance here is nearly drowned out by all the other characters, many of whom are totally unnecessary.

I beg you to forget about seeing this on the big screen. Wait until it's out on DVD or even on tele one rainy day. I don't think I could ever sit through it a second time. Read more about Closing the Ring HERE.