maurizio f i saw this film about 22-23 years ago, with the person that is now my wife. it was a period of our life when we used to go to the movies at least 2 times in a week, so every now and then we would choose not a hit movie or a personal favorite directors' one but a critics' favorite title or a festival prize winner. "the long day closes" was just nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes film festival and we sat down with the awareness that it could have been a "slow paced but emotionally deep kind of story" or sort of. and so it was, but the only thing i remember clearly is that at one point there was a frame-shot of a Persian carpet that stood the same for minutes and minutes: i swear, all the people in the cinema were looking to each other to understand what was going on: was it the movie or a sort of "accidental" pause in the reeling. when we realize there were no accident, seeing an almost imperceptible moving of the shadow over the carpet, well that was the only moment in my entire life i was seriously thinking of leaving the cinema before the end of the movie. maybe if i watch this movie now, i could possibly see it in another and well approached perspective, but take this "review" as it was just written just 2 or 3 days after the release of the movie by an occasional film-goer. i remember that in 1992 my favorite movies were"glangarry glen ross", Coppola's "Dracula" Allen's "husband and wives" "the crying game" "the unforgiven" but i enjoyed also such hits as "Basic instinct" "lethal weapon3" and "sister act".

Sergeant_Tibbs Terence Davies followed his masterpiece debut Distant Voices, Still Lives with The Long Day Closes, a meditation on his adolescence. It follows a very similar style with a series of surreal but verite vignettes of 1950s life mixed with familiar songs. It's more polished than Distant Voices, often having some incredibly impressive camera moves, but with removing that grime comes its downfall. The film lacks vital drama. Even with Distant Voices' scattered scenes, there's conflict in every one of them. The suffering in The Long Day Closes seems internal or invisible and it's difficult for the film to communicate its intense feelings through the characters and atmosphere. While some delightful contrasts are made between home, school and cinema, the solace of the movies don't have their impact without a reason to need them. Perhaps the film should've steered far away from Distant Voices' style as it feels like a watered down version, revealing too much and saying too little. However, its intricate production and sensitive aesthetic make it a worthwhile if overly subdued viewing. I hope Davies' other films are more satisfying.7/10

alphecca I first saw this film back in London, purely by chance during one of my days off work when I dipped out of the rain around Leicester Square. I am glad it rained, for I may have missed this cinematographic masterpiece. The film touches chords deep within the soul and speaks to the nostalgic in us, stirring dormant and long-forgotten memories of childhood. There is very little in the way of plotting, and the dialogue is minimal, but the film contains a rare magic that goes beyond words. The Long Day Closes borders on the exquisite, and I cannot find words to fully describe the impact it made on me. Lacking violence, profanity and abuse, the film is a gem, and it sparkles deep in the mind long after it has been seen. - Peter

Bockharn By some definition, this is a great film. It is as "still" as any movie I've ever seen (rivaled, perhaps, only by BARRY LYNDON), meditative, thoughtful. The soundtrack of pop tunes is part of the content of the film: remembered music, remembered frights, remembered ease. Director Terence Davies, in recalling his youth in Britain in the 1950s, has filmed a metaphor for growing up that resembles TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, plus color, minus the melodrama. This film will definitely not be to everyone's taste, but for those who are of the right age and sensibility, it may be a transforming experience.