A miserable film, set in 1936. Five sisters live on an Irish farm, most with memories of having missed out on life and none, save perhaps Maggie (Kathy Burke), quite in touch with what we might call life. Such menfolk as are around are, if anything, dottier still. Brother Jack (Michael Gambon), a preacher home from Africa, dreams of tribal campfires, while Gerry (Rhys Ifans), father of Christina's (Catherine McCormack) young son, is off to the Spanish War, and the off-kilter suitor (Lorcan Cranitch) of simple Rose (Sophie Thompson) rocks their rowboat until she agrees to attend the local 'pagan' revels. Oldest sister Kate (Meryl Streep) is losing her job and in fact the whole family is about to fall apart. What proved compelling on stage is, despite nice moments, less so here. There's a wonderful scene at the end when the sisters dance together to a reel on the radio, but it's a long slog getting there.

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