This was the last film to be directed by Lord Sir Richard Attenborough (A Bridge Too Far, Ghandi, In Love and War), with a good cast and a reasonable rating by critics, I was willing to give it a try. Basically the films opens with the funeral of a World War II veteran in 1991, other veterans who knew the man watch his daughter Marie (Neve Campbell) deliver a eulogy, while her mother Ethel Ann (Shirley MacLaine) sits outside the church for a smoke and to nurse a hangover. Ethel Ann is acting strangely, her friend Jack (Christopher Plummer) is the only one who understands why, it emerges that there are a few things Marie does not know about her mother's past, in particular the truth about her love life. The story flashes back in time to when young Ethel Ann (Mischa Barton) was lively and optimistic, she falls in love with young farmer Teddy Gordon (Arrow's Stephen Amell), but he goes off to fight in the Second World War, along with his friends Jack (Small Soldiers' Gregory Smith) and Chuck (David Alpay), but not all of them survive. While continuing to flash back in time, in the present day, a young Ulster nationalist Jimmy (Martin McCann) in Belfast finds a ring in the wreckage of a crashed B-17, he is determined to return it to the woman who once owned it, this eventually leads him to Michigan, after he finds out that this woman is Ethel Ann. She reveals a wall that Jack and Chuck boarded up for her back in 1944, it is covered in souvenirs of Teddy, Marie is shocked and angered that her mother was in love with Teddy, not her father Chuck. Ethel Ann travels with Jimmy to Belfast, friend Michael Quinlan (Pete Postlethwaite) finally confesses to her that was he was on the hill when Teddy died, and that his words freed Ethel Ann from her promise to love him forever, he allowed her to make her own choice. Qunilan is tearful telling Ethel Ann he spent 50 years looking for the ring that was lost in the final blast that killed Teddy, and regrets never informing Ethel of Teddy's dying words. Jack joins Ethel Ann in Belfast, he finally admits that he has always loved her, Ethel Ann is finally able to cry and properly grieve, they share a hug, it is implied that this may be the beginning of a romance. Also starring Brenda Fricker as Eleanor Reilly and John Travers as Young Quinlan. MacLaine does fairly well as the older woman, but it is indeed Barton that is more likable as the younger version, Campbell is a little too moral, and the supporting actors are fine in the roles, it is a simple enough story, a secret love story discovered through a simple object, a ring, it is corny and full of sentimentality, but there are parts that you keep you just about engaged, overall not a bad romantic drama. Worth watching, at least once!

First of all, this didn't deserve the straight to DVD treatment it received for the U.S. It's not perfect by any means, but it's an experience that should have been seen on the big screen. No, it's not action packed, but it's beautiful to watch. It's a romance with dimensions that work very well, and oddly enough I wasn't one step ahead of it the whole way through. Some elements are always a bit predictable for a film like this, but I wasn't always entirely sure where it was heading next. This could have gotten a solid score of 10 had it not been for several severe flaws. The biggest of which is the actor playing Teddy. Now imagine The Notebook if Ryan Gosling was an awful actor, it would have destroyed the movie. Luckily, as important as the Teddy character is, he's not in a massive part of the film, and it's easy to imagine what the character should have been, and believe the key romance behind the film. Mischa worked for me for the most part, although she had a majority of her scenes with the lifeless Teddy character. McClain and Plummer were amazing as they usually always are. Campbell did a believable effort as the daughter lost behind all the secrets, and I loved the actors who played the young friends of Teddy. Lastly, in the end we are treated with one of the most beautiful film songs in years. Watch the credits, you'll here the amazing Lost Without Your Love, which will complete your experience with this flawed but wonderful film.

Directed by Richard Attenborough,this 2007 tale of loss and friendship is touching and boasts a fine cast. Sadly there's not a lot else making this worth a look.Belfast,Ireland 1991,on a hill two men find the wreckage of a crashed World War Two American bomber plane and the elder of the two,Quinlan(Pete Postlethwaite)remembers the event and not being able to help the airmen involved.They also discover an inscribed ring which the younger man,Jimmy(Martin McCann)decides to return to the wife of the dead crew member.Branagan,Michigan,1991,Ethel Ann(Shirley MacLaine)and her best friend Jack(Christopher Plummer)attend the funeral of Ethel's husband Chuck,a former US airman.Her daughter Marie(Neve Campbell)is devastated by the loss,however Ethel doesn't seem so saddened.She and Jack know that she really loved someone else all these years.During the war the young Ethel(Mischa Barton)was married to airman Teddy Gordon(Stephen Amell)and along with Chuck(David Alpay)and Jack(Gregory Smith)the four were an inseparable group.However when Teddy was shot down and killed,Ethel shut down emotionally and later she married Chuck with Jack left on the sidelines also in love with her.So we've got the war,a love affair striving to overcome big challenges,and some IRA action thrown in as well.Sadly not even Richard Attenborough or his cast can disguise the fact that this is afternoon movie material,with an extra slice of cheese on top.While MacLaine,Plummer and Campbell are superb the script is riddled with clichés and you'll see where it's going ages before it's over. It is enjoyable thanks to the cast just don't expect too much from this and you may enjoy it.

I stumbled across this movie when I was searching for movies with Shirley MacLaine. I thought the story sounded OK, but I can't say that my expectations were that great. I usually have problems with sitting still when watching a movie, I often tend to pause and go do other stuff. This time I watched the whole thing at once.I loved this story from beginning to end, because you never really had a clue what really happened or why it happened. I usually don't like movies about the war, but this one wasn't so much about the war as it was about the people involved. When Ethel's heart ached, my heart ached. I haven't found my true love yet, but I can imagine the pain of being parted from the one you thought you were going to spend the rest of your life with. If I could have the love that she had for just a second I would be a happy, happy woman. Chick-flick? No, I think everybody can find something in this movie. I definitely learned a lesson. Life is too short to not let things go.