Círculo diabólico

Mia Farrow almost totally controls this movie as the mother whose daughter has just died. She's also estranged from her strange husband (Keir Dullea), but forming a friendship with the nice Mark (Tom Conti). She moves into a new house but after a seance with Mark things start to get strange. Also people start getting bumped off and a mysterious story about a young boy being murdered years earlier.

The cast are uniformaly good and some will be known by British TV viewers of the seventies and eighties. Farrow is very good as the lead but I feel that Tom Conti is very underused as Mark. In all an interesting I'd never heard of before.

Excellent adaption of Peter Straub's haunting (in SO many ways!) and gothic novel.

Mia Farrow is well cast, and supported by tight direction and an intelligent script.

Read the book first, however... Straub is king! (And not Stephen!)

In London, while having breakfast with her parents Julia (Mia Farrow) and Magnus Lofting (Keir Dullea), the girl Kate (Sophie Ward) chokes with a fruit and dies. The grieving Julia has a breakdown and moves to an institution. When she is released, she leaves her husband and buys and moves to an apartment. However, she does not look for a psychiatrist as recommended by the doctor, and her friend Mark Berkeley (Tom Conti), who is an antique dealer, tries to help her. Julia has the feeling that Kate is watching her. Meanwhile, Magnus, who lives with her fortune, unsuccessfully wants that Julia returns to their house. When Julia meets Magnus' sister Lily Lofting (Jill Bennett), she asks her to not give her address to Magnus. Soon Lily asks Julia to have a séance at her home, and she allows. The medium, Mrs. Flood (Anna Wing), contacts a girl and is scary with the ghost. But Julia believes it is Kate and seeks out answers.

"Full Circle", a.k.a. "The Haunting of Julia", is an ambiguous ghost story developed in slow pace. The flawed plot has characters that vanish, like Lilly and Magnus (nobody misses and seeks him out?). The killing spree is ambiguous, and is not clear that the evil ghost of Olivia does exist or it is a vision of the disturbed Julia. Is Julia possessed by Olivia and commits the crime spree? Or is she disturbed and killing her acquaintances and herself? The performances are excellent, highlighting Mia Farrow, but the screenplay could be better. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Demônio com Cara de Anjo" ("Devil with Angel Face")

I rated this film tonight, but its ranking is deceptive as far as age groups go. I first saw this film as "The Haunting of Julia" when I was a teen and we first got cable. It's stayed with me since, and a recent re-viewing only affirmed my memories. The storyline was adequate, and Farrow delivers a terrific performance, but what struck me most initially (and remains true after watching it again), is the film's atmosphere. Julia's unease seeps into every frame of the movie. "The Haunting of Julia" features that undercurrent of melancholy (or pessimism, depending on your point of view) that weaves itself into so many 1970s horror films, such as "Don't Look Now"). And, as others have pointed out, although the plot line may be confusing at points, the cumulative effect of the film results in a payoff. then ending, by the way, is amazing. It has a true lingering effect; after all, it remained with me for twenty years.

The Haunting of Julia is an absolute must see for those who love eerie gothic style ghost stories that are intelligent and entertaining. The emphasis here is not blood and guts, but rather a sinister study of the meaning of "evil". The acting by the great Mia Farrow is really to be admired and is among her best. She is perfect for this vulnerable role. I love the atmosphere and the house. The film is full of striking visuals. It is a must see in the tradition of films like the original "The Haunting", "The Legend of Hell House", and and "The Changeling".