Columbus Circle

Considering the initially negative but not very eloquent comments about this movie but the promising trailer, I figured I might be in for a pleasant surprise.

Unfortunately, that was not really the case. And I would usually not review a movie like this because it is neither something I would recommend, nor something I would recommend to stay away from.

Yes, the premise is nothing new (but how many movies each year does one see where that is really the case?) and the acting is cringe-worthy in a lot of places (I especially could not believe the performance in some of Selma Blair's and Amy Smart's scenes - both of whom I found great in virtually every movie I've seen them in) but still, I think it is a nice little story.

I find it ironic how people reviewing this call various elements stupid while at the same time lacking the ability to comprehend Selma Blair's character. Especially considering that it is really very simple from a logical point of view. I don't see a point writing a review that contains spoilers, so I won't say anything more about this. But as always, a little empathy goes a long way and will make the viewer realize the motivations for certain things happening. Although I will not deny that some of them seem odd, rushed, out of character at first glance, many of these can be explained if given just a bit of thought.

Overall, I would say that it is a mildly amusing but pretty forgettable movie that is probably best experienced when not paying full attention to it.

A collection of good, underused actors and actresses have been assembled in "Columbus Circle". It's the type of place that is described as anything can happen there. I'll take their word for it. The events that occur in the movie get increasingly far-fetched as we go along, and unfortunately, to the detriment of the enjoyment of the film.

An old woman is found dead in her apartment. The simple answer is that it was an accidental fall but the police are there investigating it as a homicide. The main character, Abigail (Selma Blair) lives across the hall. When a detective questions her, we are supposed to believe that is the very first time she has opened her door for anyone.

Abigail isn't really Abigail. She's a wealthy heiress who disappeared from home when she was a teenager, never to be seen from or heard from again. Her family doctor (Beau Bridges) is her only confidante, and she communicates via letters with the Columbus Circle doorman. The detective is curious about her because he sees her as a victim. If this were a better film that would have been a very intriguing element.

It's not a bad film per se, it's just that the characters that interested us at first start acting in unrealistic ways and we're left scratching our heads over the point of it all.

After the old woman's body is removed, Abby wants to buy the place just for her peace of mind, but instead it goes to a young savvy couple (Jason Lee and Amy Smart) who are constantly at physical odds with each other. Apparently, Abby is so distraught over the welfare and safety of her new neighbour that she invites her into her apartment. As you can likely guess a whole host of problems, crimes, double-crossings and shady connections come with her.

The actors were all good. The characters could have been good if there was a bit more development. The plot moved fine for its short run time. I was mostly impressed with Jason Lee and Giovanni Ribisi. This is one of Lee's only dramatic ventures in his filmography and it's a great divergence for him. Ribisi played a smart, shrewed and caring detective which is a welcome change to his usual parade of drugged-out dopey teenagers. If the other actors more closely portrayed characters that resembled real people with normal or interesting traits and attributes, then I could have appreciated them too.

I agree with another reviewer who compared this to a Good Hitchcock Movie; found it to be suspenseful enough to keep me interested in wanting to know more.

Maybe I'm not as sophisticated as some movie critics, but to me even mediocre actors can carry a Story, and hold my attention; IMO all the Actors did their 'job' and got the Story told.

The 90 or so minutes helps also; so if you can sit through movies on TV or Cable, then you will not be disappointed sitting through this one.

Would I pay to see this, or watch it again? No, but I would recommend it to anybody who watches TV drams.

Want to add that I use IMDb for every Movie I am interested in, and think the service provided by IMDb is extremely helpful.

A good watch...not academy material but very entertaining. The plot may not exactly shine but the accomplished actors make up for its shortcomings. Only the directing could have made this a better film. Character development could have been better as well but is average considering the run time.

This won't exactly be on rotation in my movie library but I could stand to watch this more than once.

I don't know why this hasn't gotten better reviews. I hear all the complaints but if you actually watched this movie and LISTENED to what the actors said you might have enjoyed it more.

I'm not quite with the person who described this film as a crime (although he writes a good review); but this film certainly didn't deliver what it promised in the opening act.

I'm a big fan of Selma Blair, and she does her best with the material given. Unfortunately, what starts out as an atmospheric thriller soon degenerates into an implausible hook (oddly enough, less interesting than if they'd just continued the original storyline), with a horribly pat ending, complete with cops discovering a cellphone ringing at a grave, that has "10 minutes to wrap" written all over it.

All of which is a great pity, because it had a good cast, and there was some decent acting on display before it all goes west.

So: not a crime, but certainly not all it could have been. For a much better movie with a similar theme, see 'Copycat'.

6/10