Três Amigas e uma Traição

I love this movie it is one of my faves! I read the book before I saw the movie and Usually I am disappointed by the movies if i read the book first...but not in this case..it stays true to the book and minnie driver does an excellent job as "Benny"! Chris O'Donnell plays the role of jack magnificently! Benny may not be the most beautiful of her friends but she can still win over the most handsome guy! A great movie and a definite must see!

I very recently read Circle of friends, and found it endearing, smart and very true to life. I felt that the movie was a very unsuccessful attempt at smashing the story line to a very tipical flick that was not at all believable. I might have enjoyed the movie more had I not read the book, but I was very distracted at the seemingly non-existing morals that were so much a part of the book. One particular annoyance is the portrayal of Nan, she was an un-likeable character in the book, but there was a means behind the "madness". The movie had you beleiving she was just a whore, but there was a whole sidestory for her motivation to seduce Simon Westward, which wasn't even hinted at in the movie. While I did like the performances of Benny and Eve, I thought Chris O'donnel as Jack was all wrong, he lacked the upbeat sincerely easy-going qualities that made Jack Jack. I would not reccomend this movie to fans of the book that truly understood that is was more than just about some flimsy romance between Benny and Jack. I also want to note that the ending was supremely outside the scope of what is was meant to be. Someone else mentioned that is was a more happy ending than in the book, but I disagree wholeheartedly. In the book you see Benny overcome her sadness and depression from that first love that would inevitably break her heart. The ending in the movie was cliche and typical of hollywood. In my opinion a very flimsy chick-flick with not enough to hold it together.

Perhaps not having read Maeve Binchy's book, in which this film is based, and never seeing the film when it was released, helped this viewer to enjoy it, perhaps more than most people that saw it in its commercial debut. Pat O'Connor and his adapter, Andrew Davies, give us a portrait about the friendship of three young girls in the story, as they go from childhood to womanhood in the Ireland of some time ago.

We meet the three friends as the film opens. There are Benny, Eve and Nan, who are inseparable. They grow up and their relationship continues right through adulthood. The three friends go to university and we see them attending Professor Flynn's class, which seems to be the girls' favorite teacher.

Nan, the prettiest of the three has no prospects of marrying into money. She decides to go after Simon Westwood, a wrong choice that turns out even worse when she discovers he couldn't care less for her. He just wants to marry money and she doesn't have it. Eva, the orphan girl brought up by nuns, has no prospects either, but she has a cottage in the country that Nan finds convenient for exploring her sexuality with Simon.

The best adjusted of the three friends is plain Benny, who seems destined to marry her father's clerk, the reptilian Sean. She has her eyes set on Jack Foley, the hunky jock. Jack in turn likes her, but things intervene between them.

Minnie Driver, is a marvelous presence in the film. She makes the plain Benny come alive. Saffron Burrows is perfect as the vain and beautiful Nan. Geraldine O'Rawe plays Eve. Chris O'Donnell is Jack Foley, who makes a good impression. Alan Cumming, Colin Firth and Ciaran Hinds are perfect in their supporting roles.

"Circle of Friends", while not breaking any ground, is still a good movie to watch because Pat O'Connor's direction and the ensemble acting cast.

It must be at least five or six years since I saw this movie last, and I couldn't remember much of it before I saw it again yesterday. That does not surprise me since Circle of Friends truly isn't a very memorable film. It's sweet and extremely well-acted (apart from the always boring Chris O'Donnell)... but that's about it.

It was fun, though, to see Minnie Driver, Saffron Burrows, and Aidan Gillen (Queer as Folk, UK version) in early roles. As always, Colin Firth delivered a fine performance.

It's 1949 Knockglen, Ireland. Best friends Eve, Benny and Nan have their Confirmation Day. Then it's 1957. Nan Mahon (Saffron Burrows) is long gone to Dublin. Bernadette Hogan (Minnie Driver) and Eve Malone (Geraldine O'Rawe) have graduated. Orphan Eve's father was the wealthy Westward family's gardener. Simon (Colin Firth) is the dashing Westward son. The girls go to Dublin University College but Benny has to go home every night while Eve is living in a convent. They are reunited with social butterfly Nan at college. Benny falls for fellow student Jack Foley (Chris O'Donnell). Creepy Sean Walsh (Alan Cumming) from home has an eye for her. Aidan Lynch (Aidan Gillen) likes Eve. Nan wants the older Simon.

Minnie Driver may be a tall gal but the way she's described, she needs an extra 50 pounds. She probably needs to be uglier. On the other hand, Chris O'Donnell is way too pretty, not just handsome but swoopy-haired pretty. He's essentially the pretty girl in this romance and rather bland. They have good chemistry but not very heated one. It tries to do something with sexual rebellion in the repressive religious atmosphere. Even when the movie takes some twists, it never really surprises.