James Joyce's novella "The Dead", included in his 1914 collection of short stories "Dubliners", proved to be the final directorial achievement by Hollywood legend John Huston, fittingly adapted by his son Tony Huston and featuring daughter Anjelica Huston in a pivotal role. Two spinster Irish aunts host their annual Christmas party in middle-class Dublin at the turn of the 20th century; their guests include relatives and friends who partake in a night of dance, music, poetry, politics, flirtations, discussion of the arts, and epiphanies of life. The Irish nationalism, combined with the culture and manners of the time, are realized vividly, and Huston is well-attuned to the turns of conversation, the tiny conflicts of interest and character. However, the film seems to lose much of its drawing power after the guests depart for the evening, with the narrative turning into an elongated elegy. Stretching this brief story out to feature-length was obviously a difficult task; John Huston, perhaps out of compensation, allows some scenes to linger too long (he also lets several of his actors overdo the colorfulness of their roles without scaling them back). Many lovely moments. In 2000, the story was adapted again, this time as a stage musical. ** from ****