Period Drama
- Written by Sharman MacDonald
- Directed by John Maybury
The Edge of Love is very lovely to look at, and not only because three of its four stars are exceptionally good-looking. Director John Maybury has clearly fallen in love with the look of war-time London (or his imaginary equivalent), and gives us every bit of period detail his budget could afford. Then he shot it all from odd yet attractive angles. The visual style, while pleasant on its own terms, never really helps the story and occasionally distracts from it.
It also quiets down in the second half, when the setting moves of rural Wales. Rural Wales in the 1940s doesn’t look that different than it does today.
The story concerns two couples with fidelity problems, although there is far more suspicion of adultery in their lives than actual hanky-panky. One of the leading characters is the great poet Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys), although he’s by far the least interesting of the four. Far more exciting is his wife, Caitlin, played with gusto and enormous appeal by Sienna Miller in the film’s stand-out performance.
The other couple are the ones cast with star power. Vera (Keira Knightley), Thomas’ childhood friend and sometime lover, becomes Caitlin’s best friend after an uncomfortable introduction. Cillian Murphy plays the army officer who romances and marries Vera before going off to war.
This is an actor’s picture dressed up with beautiful photography and a little sex. The story is a bit thin, but the performances carry you through it.
Bayflicks 