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"First love's all
right as far as it goes...
Last love, that's what
I'm interested in."
Here is a grand story of
love, friendship, loyalty and betrayal
pivoting around the life of the famous Welsh
poet, Dylan Thomas. The filmmakers
haven taken the setting and personalities
from Thomas' life and speculated a beautiful,
intricate and subtle tale that is
reminiscent of recent classics such as
"Atonement", "Cold Mountain" and "The
English Patient".
Those comparisons
should clue you into the fact that this is a
film for adults who have experienced the joy
and heartache of life-long love and
friendship. Those seeking action,
cheap thrills or a Keira-Sienna lesbian
scene will be sorely disappointed.
Thankfully, "The Edge of Love" is far more
cerebral than that.
I will concede that
women will likely connect with the story on
a more personal level. However, this
man found it to be a fascinating peek into
the dynamics of female relationships.
It confirmed my assumption that they are the
far more complex sex.
The film is set
predominantly in WWII England and Wales.
Keira Knightley plays a lounge singer named
Vera Phillips -- a long-lost childhood
friend to Dylan Thomas. Clearly, their
history hides some unspoken secrets.
Sienna Miller plays
Caitlin -- Thomas' wife. She is a
feisty, but fragile woman who simultaneously
befriends and distrusts Vera when she
re-enters Dylan's world.
Matthew Rhys
portrays
Thomas as a cad who blatantly plays the
women off each other -- reveling in the
hints of jealousy. The sexual tensions
on screen suggest at infidelity and
menage-a-trois without ever going down that
road. However, it seems clear that
this fictional Thomas is desperately angling
to have his cake and eat it too.
When Vera agrees to
marry a soldier, William Killick (Murphy), a
new dynamic enters the fray. He leaves
to fight in the war and the remaining
threesome retreat to Wales, living side by
side as they await his return. The
trio bounce back forth between friendship
and tension, love and betrayal. It is
a most complicated love triangle.
Killick's return
threatens to upset the delicate balance.
His jealousy and war-ravaged personality
cause major problems between Vera and her
two best friends. The result is the
unraveling of the fine thread holding them
all together.
Knightley and Miller
are two of the epic beauties of this
Silver-Screen generation -- a fact that may
take away some attention from their
extraordinary acting talents.
Keira Knightley has
been world class in films such as
"Atonement", "Pride & Prejudice" and "Silk".
She has also been a consummate movie star in
blockbusters like "Pirates of the Caribbean"
and "Love Actually". No one doubts
that she is here to stay for decades to
come.
Sienna Miller is on
the verge of achieving similar status.
She displayed Oscar caliber talent in
"Factory Girl" and "Interview". And I
am not sure that anyone, man or woman, has
as diverse a range of characters in movies
over the past 5 years.
These two
firecrackers are pitch perfect in "The Edge
of Love". They balance frailty and
gentle loyalty with passion and fierce
competitiveness. Each of their roles
is immensely tricky -- and both handle the
tasks with ease. It wouldn't surprise
me if they are both showered with awards
when the trophy season rolls around.
You will know if
this is your type of film before you buy the
ticket. I love these intricate dramas
when shot as gorgeously and written as
intelligently as this. Throw in some
major performances and the two most
beautiful women on the planet -- What's not
to love?
©
Written by TC Candler
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