Directed by: John Maybury
Written by: Sharman MacDonald
Starring: Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy, Matthew Rhys, Lisa Stansfield, Graham McPherson, Camilla Rutherford, Alastair Mackenzie
Film is released in the U.K. on June 20th 2008
Review by James Rawson
Poet, author, screen writer, alcoholic, philanderer – despite being one of the most quoted poets in history, and having one of the most colourful lives, Dylan Thomas’ story has not yet found its way to the big screen. And with a story so rich (though one must be careful to separate the fact from the fiction) the welsh poet would seem to be the perfect subject for an awards-baiting biopic.
The Edge Of Love, penned by Sharman Macdonald (mother of one of the film’s stars, Keira Knightley), is not that awards-baiting biopic. Macdonald rather bravely, or perhaps not depending on your viewpoint, shies away from tackling the character of Thomas head on, instead deciding to focus on the his lovers, and their affairs, during the Second World War.
The film opens with Vera (Keira Knightley) on stage in an underground station, singing for her audience of ordinary Londoners as they seek protection from the Blitz above. Knightley does all her own singing, and she’s not half bad: strong, sultry, with just a hint of Marilyn Monroe. Vera’s most adoring fan is the oh-so-handsome Captain William Hillick (Cillian Murphy) who, after a strategically dropped hankie or two, is soon winning her over.
Of course the course of true love never did run smooth, and Vera soon runs in to her childhood sweetheart Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys), who is now married to Caitlin (Sienna Miller). Caitlin and Dylan’s marriage is far from blissful, and Dylan continually flirts with Vera, much to the jealous Williams’ annoyance, while Caitlin finds gratification in courting the attention of soldiers.
Captain Hillick is sent on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines, while Dylan, Vera and Caitlin relocate to their native Wales. Here their relationships slowly unravel, and when a war scarred William returns, are pushed to their very limits in a dramatic climax.
The period setting, cast and stylistic similarities mean that The Edge Of Love will inevitably be compared to last year’s Atonement. And the two do have a lot in common, especially during the London scenes. But where Atonement transcended it’s purely aesthetic virtues with a dramatic last act twist, The Edge of Love is much more restrained, but equally intelligent.
Of the four main characters, Dylan gets by far the least amount of lines and screen time – most of the film is spent watching Vera, Caitlin and William fight, kiss and play in the bath. Yet Rhys’ performance is the most memorable and impressive by miles: controlled, comedic, articulate, and ultimately damning. As The Edge of Love comes closer to its denouement, it becomes increasingly apparent that, although it is a film ostensibly more about the characters that surround Dylan Thomas, it is his character, his charisma, and his jealousy that is determining all the drama. It is also Thomas’ poetry which, when voiced over, lift the scenes to something greater, and create the film’s most moving moments.
The Edge Of Love is by no means flawless, and I suspect that like Atonement it will divide critics, not impossibly along gender lines. Large chunks are completely forgettable, whole subplots could easily have disappeared and not made the tiniest bit of difference, and personally I’d struggle to pick Sienna Miller out of a line-up of one (though she replaced Lindsay Lohan, so things could have been worse.)
In failing to match the ‘Ray’ template, The Edge Of Love may disappoint some audience members, and as Hollywood’s output becomes increasingly predictable I’m sure that someone somewhere is writing the script for ‘Dylan’. But as a period drama, fuelled by a charming, but ultimately destructive character, this is a strong, and at its best, a compelling and interesting film. Not brilliant, but by all means worthy of a wince.
