Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Reactions to this one are all over the place so far. Some people adore it, while others can barely tolerate it. Let’s see what today’s reviewer thinks:
Hi Harry & Mori:
I saw ENDURING LOVE last week and wanted to write to you about it, but every time I go to sit down at the computer, I find myself unable to put together the words I think are necessary to do this film justice. I’m a huge fan of the Ian McEwan novel and had high hopes for this adaptation. COMFORT OF STRANGERS and CEMENT GARDEN were two very solid adaptations, and Roger Michell’s CHANGING LANES was a very underrated film. Needless to say, Michell knocked this one out of the park. This is a note perfect adapatation, and Hollywood should require all its screenwriters to watch it and read the book to see how these things are done.
If you’ve seen the trailer and are unfamiliar with the story, you might think this is a gay take on FATAL ATTRACTION. But you’d be wrong. There are definitely some tense, chilling moments in the film, but this is more a character drama, a story of a fractured relationship trying to heal, than a suspenseful thriller.
The movie opens with a couple, Joe and Claire (played by Daniel Craig and Samantha Morton – who just keeps picking winning roles), on a picnic, an idllyic day in the country. We sense something is off in the relationship, but our attention is taken away to an ongoing tragedy that will have major implications on this couple. A hot air balloon has suddenly gone out of control. Joe, along with others in the area, race to the balloon and grab onto the ropes hanging down, hoping to stop it. One of these men is Jed, played by Rhys Ifans in the role of his career. I cannot imagine a better role coming across his desk, and he plays it with such precision that I really couldn’t imagine anyone else in it.
The balloon scene, often cited in reviews of the book as cinematically written, proves why the cinema just can’t be beat for visceral excitement. I’m a huge fan of the novel, and McEwan’s writing is a tour de force, but seeing it unfold before my eyes is a pleasure reserved only for a moviegoer.
Tragedy results, as the men cannot save the passengers in the hot air balloon. Everyone leaves, dismayed, hoping to turn the page. But Jed senses a connection with Joe that he refuses to believe isn’t there. Jed becomes obsessed with Joe, following him, trying to reason with him. He honestly believes destiny put them together in such a stressful situation for a reason. Meanwhile, Joe and Claire’s relationship continues to deteriorate. Things are worsened when Joe begins obsessing over Jed’s obsession.
For those of you who read the book, you know how everything turns out. Nothing was changed from the novel’s original ending. For those of you who haven’t read it, don’t go into this thing thinking you’re about to get a thriller. Michell (and McEwan) has more important things to consider. Questions about love, destiny, and coincidence. Much like after reading the novel for the first time, I spent several days pondering the themes of this work. You will too.
Jed Eckert
Thanks, man. Well done.
"Moriarty" out.
