Circle of Friends is a little feel good sort of movie. The ensemble characters interact quite well. I have always liked Minnie Driver, and Alan Cummings seems to nail the smarmy characters like this. I think he was in a Jane Austen adaptation film with a similar role.

The film is based on one of the best Maeve Binchy novels, in my opinion. It concerns Bennie, Driver’s character, who has a self-esteem problem based partly on her weight and unpopularity. But she stands up for herself when she has to, and makes friends. She overcomes problems I won’t go into and risk giving details away, but su... read the rest.