Enduring Love
3/4
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rhys Ifans, Samantha Morton, Bill Nighy, Susan Lynch
Rated R for Language, Some Violence and a Disturbing Image
The trailer, and the premise, of "Enduring Love" make it seem to be a British art-house version of "Fatal Attraction," but that's not a fair representation of the film. While there is a stalking situation in the film, it's a subplot. The film's main focus is on how tragedy and guilt can warp a man's life.
It was a beautiful day. Joe (Craig) and Claire (Morton) are having a picnic in the English countryside. Just when things are getting romantic, Claire spies a balloon in trouble. They rush to help, and Joe tries to bring the balloon down to save a young boy inside. A gust of wind sends it soaring into the air, however, and Joe and the others let go. Only one man stays, but eventually he falls to the ground and is killed instantly.
Joe is reeling from the accident, suffering from survivor's guilt and probably PTSD. Claire tries to be sympathetic, but he shuts her out. That's when Jed (Ifans), one of the men who tried to save the boy in the balloon, contacts him. Joe doesn't want to, but when he relents and meets him, Jed claims to want something from him.
There are really three main plotlines in this movie. One is, of course, the stalking of Joe by Jed, although one could make a valid argument that this is the least important one. Second is Joe's reaction to the trauma, which threatens his relationship with Claire. The third isn't really a plotline, more of a theme: whether emotions like love are real or biological actions.
The film's problem is that while these are wed into a coherent whole, it's not elegantly done. The film was directed by Roger Michell, who made "Notting Hill" and "Morning Glory." I don't remember much about "Notting Hill" except that I thought it was lame, and I hate "Morning Glory" more every time I think about it. Michell lacks the expertise to turn something this complex into a complete film. It's not a disaster, but he's unable to juggle all of which the screenplay (based on a novel by Ian McEwan, who also wrote the novel that the film "Atonement" was based on) tries to address. Additionally, he gets way too artsy in the film's most intense scenes, which limits their power.
The acting is great, and with a cast like this, one would expect nothing less. Daniel Craig, who is more than capable of playing roles other than James Bond, gives his best performance as Joe. Joe is a good man, but the accident fundamentally alters his personality. He's angry and jittery, and at times obsessed. He's become more cynical, too. Samantha Morton is wonderful as always as Claire. She's sweet and loving, but there's only so much that she can take. Rhys Ifans is creepy as Jed; he exhibits the tendencies of both an erotomaniac and a religious fanatic. The irreplaceable Bill Nighy, Ben Whishaw and Andrew Lincoln (from "The Walking Dead") have cameos.
Do I think it's worth seeing? I think so. I was never bored, and was engaged by the ideas and the relationships between the characters (the one between Joe and Claire feels completely real). It's not for everyone, that much is clear.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rhys Ifans, Samantha Morton, Bill Nighy, Susan Lynch
Rated R for Language, Some Violence and a Disturbing Image
The trailer, and the premise, of "Enduring Love" make it seem to be a British art-house version of "Fatal Attraction," but that's not a fair representation of the film. While there is a stalking situation in the film, it's a subplot. The film's main focus is on how tragedy and guilt can warp a man's life.
It was a beautiful day. Joe (Craig) and Claire (Morton) are having a picnic in the English countryside. Just when things are getting romantic, Claire spies a balloon in trouble. They rush to help, and Joe tries to bring the balloon down to save a young boy inside. A gust of wind sends it soaring into the air, however, and Joe and the others let go. Only one man stays, but eventually he falls to the ground and is killed instantly.
Joe is reeling from the accident, suffering from survivor's guilt and probably PTSD. Claire tries to be sympathetic, but he shuts her out. That's when Jed (Ifans), one of the men who tried to save the boy in the balloon, contacts him. Joe doesn't want to, but when he relents and meets him, Jed claims to want something from him.
There are really three main plotlines in this movie. One is, of course, the stalking of Joe by Jed, although one could make a valid argument that this is the least important one. Second is Joe's reaction to the trauma, which threatens his relationship with Claire. The third isn't really a plotline, more of a theme: whether emotions like love are real or biological actions.
The film's problem is that while these are wed into a coherent whole, it's not elegantly done. The film was directed by Roger Michell, who made "Notting Hill" and "Morning Glory." I don't remember much about "Notting Hill" except that I thought it was lame, and I hate "Morning Glory" more every time I think about it. Michell lacks the expertise to turn something this complex into a complete film. It's not a disaster, but he's unable to juggle all of which the screenplay (based on a novel by Ian McEwan, who also wrote the novel that the film "Atonement" was based on) tries to address. Additionally, he gets way too artsy in the film's most intense scenes, which limits their power.
The acting is great, and with a cast like this, one would expect nothing less. Daniel Craig, who is more than capable of playing roles other than James Bond, gives his best performance as Joe. Joe is a good man, but the accident fundamentally alters his personality. He's angry and jittery, and at times obsessed. He's become more cynical, too. Samantha Morton is wonderful as always as Claire. She's sweet and loving, but there's only so much that she can take. Rhys Ifans is creepy as Jed; he exhibits the tendencies of both an erotomaniac and a religious fanatic. The irreplaceable Bill Nighy, Ben Whishaw and Andrew Lincoln (from "The Walking Dead") have cameos.
Do I think it's worth seeing? I think so. I was never bored, and was engaged by the ideas and the relationships between the characters (the one between Joe and Claire feels completely real). It's not for everyone, that much is clear.
Comments
Post a Comment