The Circle

Don't pay any attention to one-star reviews by total idiots. This is one of the most, if not THE most amazing piece of film-making I've ever seen. And I'd like to know why the ONLY one-star review is the one featured on the main page. Who decides which review should be the leading one?

At first I thought it was done in 3 or 4 takes, which would have been impressive enough, but upon watching it again, I see it really is one continuous scene, start to finish. I don't see how anybody could pull that off. One mistake, one prop out of place, one line-fluff is all it would take, and you'd have to start all over again. This requires planning and execution beyond imagining, at least for me.

I could say that it got a bit over the top in the melodrama at times, but did it really? I'd have to say it all fitted with the surreal mood of the whole film.

I can't really say much more, else I'd risk giving away too much. If you like, or at least don't mind, something really different for a change, then please don't miss this.

In THE CIRCLE, Jay (Angela Bettis) is a woman on a mission to keep her husband from being assassinated. We go along with her as she pleads with the hitman, trying to get him to relent.

If you can get past the shot-on-video look of the movie, about half of it is pretty good. The problem lies in the "one continuous shot" approach. While this would have been quite effective in a short film, at 100 minutes it gets tedious.

On the positive side, the off-camera set changes and other devices used to make the scene connections are impressive. Ms. Bettis is convincing in her harried role, and there are some interesting characters in the strip club sequence.

The twist ending isn't bad, but it's a bit of a slog to get there...

Obviously, I'm going to have to watch this inane waste of time again just to see what all the reviewers are raving about. From the opening shot when the hit man's phone rings and he looks at it like a caveman looking at the control panel of a Boeing 747, I knew I was in for a real piece of overacting. And I wasn't disappointed. Quick jerk of the neck, raised eyebrow, and a ponderous, "Hmmmm. What is this object on the nightstand that's emitting a ringing tone?" 43 seconds later, he figured it out and answered the damned thing... Everybody overacts. Even the "real" people. I think perhaps it was less an "amazing 90 minute one take" piece of directing and more of a "Hey! We've got a 90 minute tape in this camcorder--let's make a movie!" Don't waste your time.

Saw this movie in Cannes, and can't stop thinking about it. What an amazing piece of work! First of all, technically it's astounding -- the film is done in one uninterrupted take, and the visual acrobatics of this Mount Everest of shots are just incredible. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of planning, rehearsals, sweat and tears that went into this "one-shot wonder". Second, the story, the performances, and everything else in this movie is just brilliant. Angela Bettis -- where have you been hiding all my life? An unbelievable actress who grabs you by the throat (and the heart) and never lets go. All in all, this is a heartbreaking, inspiring, visionary movie -- a modern masterpiece.

This movie -- absolutely fantastic! On the technical level it's pure genius -- a single uninterrupted take, almost a hundred minutes, is spellbinding. The director, Yuri Zeltser, has performed a miracle, plain and simple. Well, not too simple -- making this movie must have been a mammoth undertaking. Now, the story starts off as a thriller/mystery, but then dives deeper and deeper into human psychology and metaphysics. Mindbending, almost hallucinogenic stuff. The acting -- stunning, especially the brilliant Angela Bettis. Why aren't we seeing more of this amazing actress? One exception -- David Proval (from the Sopranos), who thinks he is Al Pacino and overacts a bit (to put it mildly). Overall -- grand entertainment. 10 stars out of ten.