Director: Lajos Koltai

Writer: Michael Cunningham and Susan Minot

Starring: Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave, Natasha Richardson, Glenn Close and Meryl Streep

Ann Grant Lord (Vanessa Redgraves) is dying of cancer. Her daughters, Nina (Toni Collette) and Constance (Natasha Richardson), return home to attend to her at her bedside. During one of Ann’s delusions, she mentions a man named Harris, who she loved and calls her greatest mistake. She then mentions Buddy, who loved Harris too. Her daughters have heard of neither Harris nor Buddy. But then their mother says something truly horrifying: She and Harris killed Buddy.

In the past, we see Ann’s (Claire Danes) arrival for the upcoming wedding of her best friend Lila Wittenborn (Mamie Gummer). However, Lila doesn’t love the man she is to marry, and Ann has only two days to end the wedding.

This is a drama that explores the emotional past and present. We switch from past to present as more of the story is revealed. But it’s just not enough. We get this mystery and all these women with distraught lives, but the closer falls short. When you compare it to “The Hours” (also written by Michael Cunningham), where we have another all-star female cast and time shifting from past to present, “Evening” pales.

“Evening” is a very disappointing movie, considering how great it could have been with such a wonderful cast. There seemed to be no real point to the movie, and left no feeling of closure at the end. There is no emotional venting, which is odd, considering we would assume there should be some.

Best scene: In the present day, Lila Wittenborn (Meryl Streep) arrives to see her beloved friend before she dies. It’s the most moving scene of the entire film, and not because of tears or dramatic discoveries. It’s emotional because both actresses convey such warmth, you almost feel the 50-year bond of friendship between the two. But what do you expect from two Academy Award winning actresses?

Favorite performance: Meryl Streep steals the show. Her brief but memorable performance as Lila unifies the movie, and brings heart to an otherwise heartless movie.

Overall: A disappointing story, but modestly carried by the female cast, doing the best they can with a mediocre story, that takes two hours to go nowhere.

Three Stars (out of Five)

See it: rent it

Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements, sexual material, a brief accident scene and language.

Running time: 117 mins.

Tagline: Her greatest secret was her greatest gift