An ideal example how great talents are wasted in a bad directorial job! I have not read the book, because I don't read books, so don't know what was in the book. I can only say that there must have been a great story-line but which is wasted and ruined. Some actors did a pretty good job but others didn't. Exceptional one is Hugh Dancy who played Buddy. He is amazingly alive in his character and outperforms everyone else. If only his character didn't die early but spread over the entire story length, the movie would certainly earn more merit points. Patrick Wilson plays Harris quite well, giving due resilience and soberness to the character. Claire plays Anne very well too and sometimes competes really strong with Buddy's character. Mamie Gummer does a good job too as Lila. The most disappointing character is Nina's character played by Tony Collette which is really a disaster! Her performance is very annoying, so synthetic, unnatural and lifeless. She is the biggest misfit in this movie! Her boyfriend's character reflects a real joker and her sister reminds us of a zombie! Alas, the main character, old Anne played by Vanessa is not impressive either. Her performance is just painful and torturing rather than a character reflecting a glamorous youth although torn between her best friend and her charming dream man.But there are other positive sides so you have not totally wasted your time. Undoubtedly the most attractive feature of the movie is its really beautiful music by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. I must say this is one of the best 5 scores I've ever encountered in movies. It's so melancholic, pensive and unforgettable! You will be amazed at the way he conducts the piano and violins to bring that sorrowful feeling which not only runs throughout the movie, but your soul too. Cinematography is the other most beautiful feature of this movie that captures few of the most spellbinding sceneries of our time. It blends quite fittingly and nicely with the music that leaves lingering emotions in your mind for a very, very long time!However, in the end you feel disappointed that director Lajos has failed to identify the good ones from the bad stuff. He also fails sometimes to knit the scenes together to achieve a constant, seamless flow. There is enough great acting, music and cinematography to make it a great movie if he eliminated bad actors and did a good job in editing. But he has lost a golden opportunity to make a great movie out of some great talents.

Evening of consciousness comes when one barely recalls how he or she considered his/her deed in a certain situation, and if recalled, one can barely distinguish the right deeds from the wrong ones. It transpires that we are "mysterious creatures", craving things that end up as totally unimportant to us. Evening of life comes when we stop caring for life, except when we see a flying butterfly. We begin to chase it as the epitome of life that we long forgot! The wedding song tells of a lover who rejoices in her beloved one hurrying to see her in the evening after his working day is over. May be one needs some fellow creature hurrying to see him/her in their evening of consciousness that is their evening of life. This is what occurs as Lila (Meryl Streep) visits her dying friend (Vanessa Redgrave) on her deathbed. Lajos Koltai made a wonderful movie. Scenery is amazing. Cadres are fantastical. It's the type of film that one wishes to see again and again. Thanks to the cast and crew. Lovely work of art.

I often tried to write that I like movies. And there was always a huge number of words that were annoying and depressing me next time I read.Only when I watched the film "Evening", I was able to formulate what I feel about cinema at all.Even though, this copy of filmmaking absolutely has no shortage of the stars of the 'first' magnitude, and some people most likely consider, that there are too many of them, but I could say that this movie is not a masterpiece and it won't be shown on every March 8. I'm more than assured of it as well as of the fact that not every moviegoer has seen it, and an annotation doesn't appeal to those who are in search of an object for evening viewing.And despite the fact that while viewing there were moments when I felt like a bird in a glass box, that is aware of the deplorable situation, but continues to beat its wings, burning the rest of the air and breaking its own heart, I think this film is beautiful. I can say more, even sadness has its own special beauty in this movie.This work of cinematography has left its unique mark on the canvas of my soul, and now I have to look through it at the world.A list of films that have left their trace is big enough and I'm happy that I feel what I feel.

I have watched this movie three times. The last time, I kept skipping around confusing scenes to find resolution for the plot. Perhaps the plot is not intended to hang together logically. Or perhaps these rough spots are in the plot because Ann's recall of distant events is rather faulty.Take the young Ann Grant (Claire Danes). Here is a young woman who has attended an unnamed college with the scions of a rich family. She must have had help to afford this very expensive education, but never seems to have any family ties at all. She never seems to have any relatives she can turn to when the consequences of one of her disastrous decisions take effect.Ann shares an evening of passion with her great love Harris Arden (Patrick Wilson). Then, when Harris comforts Lila after the tragic death of her brother Buddy, Ann suddenly finds him repulsive and is disgusted with her own behavior. I must have missed something significant here. Ann's behavior seems totally inexplicable. Ann abandons her relationship with Harris and eventually marries one of the groomsmen at Lila's wedding. Despite Ann's rejection of Harris, she continues to hold deep feelings for him on her deathbed.It was obvious from his behavior that Harris was deeply smitten with Ann and would have gladly married her. A scene showing their chance meeting years after Lila's wedding showed that Harris still had deep feelings for Ann.The film showed a pattern for Ann's romantic relationships. She always had a falling out with her men and she rejected them. This pattern held with Harris and two husbands. In contrast, Lila married a man she did not love and she remained with her husband until he died. Perhaps Lila was able to build a relationship because she refused to let her marriage fail.Then came the too convenient reappearance of Lila Ross at Ann's bedside. Apparently Ann's nurse was able to extract enough information from Ann's last few lucid moments to identify and contact Lila. None of this communication appeared on the film.I kept wondering about the house Ann was living in during her final days. How did she afford to buy such a house on the meager earnings of her singing career? Ann always seemed one step ahead of financial disaster while raising her two daughters.On another level, I enjoyed the film's setting and music immensely. The seaside mansion was just so heartbreakingly beautiful. Claire Danes was luminous as the young Ann Grant. She is really quite a talented singer. I much prefer her natural brunette to the bottle blonde look she had in the film extras. If only those pesky CGI fireflies would go away, I could raise the movie a whole point in my vote!