There are fine performances from Brosnan, Sophie Vavasseur as Evelyn, and Julianna Margulies, who shines in a cast that also features strong support from Alan Bates, Stephen Rea and Aidan Quinn. Evelyn is a heart-warming drama with barely a feel-good cliché left unturned, which may find its natural home on Christmas Day television as an alternative to the Bond movie on the other side. Consider it a gentle cousin to Angela's Ashes (1999); those seeking more caustic fare on a similar theme would do well to visit The Magdalene Sisters (2002).

On the DVD: Evelyn is presented with a short (21 min), thoughtful making-of featurette. There are good, highly informative commentaries by Bruce Beresford, and by producer Beau St Clair with Pierce Brosnan, in which the superstar reveals how seriously he took this low-budget film, and how much it meant to him. The original spoiler-filled trailer is also included. The film itself is anamorphically enhanced at the original 2.35:1 in a flawless transfer from a virtually perfect print. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is a model of clarity that appropriately doesn't draw attention to itself. --Gary S Dalkin