The Edge of Love (2009)

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Excellent but underrated film

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Blistering performances.

THE EDGE OF LOVE. I even found the title intriguing. Can the edge of love grow in many strange directions? Does madness live beyond this edge? At times, it feels like the film seems to be missing something. It's hard to describe. It's either that or it's just that sometimes you feel strangely disconnected from the characters, which somehow makes it even more difficult to stop watching and just turn off. You just can't seem to turn away from this private little world in which one man and two women live. John Maybury definitely has his own unique "grammar" in film, which he himself makes fun of along with actor Matthew Rhys in a commentary track which is as much fun as the movie itself.THE EDGE OF LOVE is set in WWII London and Wales, and is based on the life of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, played to perfection by Rhys, who obviously had tons of fun doing it, capturing the poet's childish yet magnetic vibe. Sienna Miller, an actress who deserves to be known for more than just her personal life splashed in tabloids, plays Dylan's charismatic, sexy yet formidable Irish wife Caitlin with extreme skill.There are other women in Dylan's life, of course, but only one poses any real threat to Caitlin: a Welsh woman named Vera (Keira Knightley), a gorgeous creature who sings cabaret in the underground pubs of London as bombs shake the ground above. Vera is Dylan's childhood friend and "soulmate". The bond between the two is inexplicably vibrant on screen. Again, it's like a private world that you are only ever afforded a glimpse into, yet cannot resist. It's like visiting aliens. Dylan loves Vera passionately, yet he is married to Caitlin, and honestly loves Caitlin too. Caitlin grows to love Vera as a best friend, though she does give Vera fair warning that if she messes with Dylan behind Caitlin's back, there will be hell to pay. It's so bizarre to see these two young women having so much fun together, enjoying each other's companionship while this undercurrent of jealousy seethes. Dylan of course loves the attention of two women at once, but there is this palpable lack of malice. All you feel is this childish wonder in him.Just a tip for those who might be curious: There are no three-way sex scenes or situations other than Dylan loving both his wife and his childhood lover at the very same time, while the three live in the same house.Early in the film, Vera, as much a modern free spirit as Caitlin, meets an English soldier named William (Cillian Murphy) who falls in love with and marries her. Does she return the love? Vera doesn't know. She tells him that only after he comes safely home from fighting overseas will she let him know. He is only gone for a year, give or take, but he has seen enough horror to scar him for life, and William is still so disturbed by the mysterious bond between his wife and Dylan Thomas that what happens next is inevitable. Murphy's acting is top notch, as per usual, and William becomes the one character in this foursome dynamic that you can actually relate to on any level. You can "become" William, and then, again, it's like you're among aliens, childishly innocent and idealistic aliens who are also extremely narcissistic, shameless samplers of everything life has to offer regardless of who gets hurt or destroyed, yet never truly meaning to "hurt" anyone. Theirs is the belief that you can love many people in your life, that you can have be involved sexually with many people without it affecting your capacity to love your spouse. Dylan Thomas has plenty of poetry "groupies". Caitlin also indulges in sex on the side with various men. Again, the only true threat to Caitlin is Vera, if Vera and Dylan sleep together. Because then it "means" something. The threat to William is obvious as well.It is only after Vera has William's baby that she begins to realize that there is something to be said for having someone love you, actually love you, for real, in the "real" world. The dreamy little universe she has shared with Dylan no longer sparkles like it used to, because the unexpected love she feels for the husband she has taken for granted has changed her. Dylan, however is not quite so ready to give up the notion that Vera's heart is his. When Vera reads Dylan his pedigree and tells him that William "makes her real", it redeems her character, defines it. Ultimately, the three-way bond between Dylan and the two women has to be cut. This means the end of the fragile friendship between Vera and Caitlin, but it leads you to ask: Was it really a friendship? Was anything between these three "real"? Or was it all this world of ignorant bliss and sexual freedom?Like this review, THE EDGE OF LOVE is strange and hard to describe. You can call it a highly unusual romance/historic war drama/period piece, very quirky, with memorable visuals and great acting by all four leads. One thing's for sure: it's different.

i did not expect to enjoy this. in truth i watched it because a friend knew a friend knew a friend who wrote the script but wasn't credited. knowing Dylan thomas, and really being appreciative of his poetry but aware and rather disconcerted by the man, i didn't feel i needed to see a twee adaption of his lame bohemian life laid bare. and this was not it. critical and yet appreciative it was. it made me cry. kiera knightley was superb, even with that slightly strained welsh accent,and it is a sad tale that they tell. Dylan thomas is not the hero as sadly he was not throughout his life and neither really are the so called 'feisty woman' of the pr spiel. it is cillian the william of the movie. a man that leaves the woman he loves to fight a war that they ignore. his challenge to reoonnect with that indifference is what is of real interest to this film and what a beautiful performance from that actor. i thiink this film is underrated because it was marketed so badly. Dylan thomas fans will expect something more from their so very flawed hero and get less, and well that is how it was marketed. it is not a film about Dylan thomas and it is much more interesting for it.

Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller stars in the story of two of the women in the life of Dylan Thomas. Knightley is Thomas's boyhood sweetheart he re-encounters during the Blitz. Meeting at a bar they reconnect, however things become complicated when Thomas' brings his wife (Miller) along the next time he meets her. The women hit it off and things proceed at pace until the trio are joined by the man who will become Knightly's husband. This further complicates things as jealousy begins to show its face.Beautiful to look at, extraordinarily written and wonderfully acted (everyone disappears completely into their roles) this is a sumptuous feast for the eyes and the ears. It's so nice to see a film about adults being adults. On a purely visceral level I really enjoyed watching the film because the film is so artistically pleasing. Rarely have I ever seen a film that is this beautifully crafted.The trouble with the film is I'm not entirely sure of everything that happened. Something seemed to be missing and a couple of times I had to replay the film to see if I missed something. Its not bad, but its not completely satisfying as a result. (I tried to look up on line to see how much of the film is true but I couldn't find anything) Still I think this is a film worth seeing. It's a beautiful film for adults with probably the best acting the leads have done.

Although I am very familiar with poet Dylan Thomas, I know nothing of his life. Whatever his life and specifically his marriage involved, I would imagine that The Edge of Love (based on the novel) manipulates things a bit, but unless you are a historian or a poet, who cares.The movie is less about Thomas and more focused on the two most important women in his life. One is his wife Kathrine, and the other is Vera who was his first love. One romantic night on the beach as youths is something that both have tried to put behind them but cannot, now grown up they are good friends. I forgot to mention that this is set during the war. Vera becomes engaged to Captain Will Killing who he gets her pregnant and leaves for war. While he is away, Vera starts to fall for Thomas again, and Kathrine has fallen out of love with him. She is also carrying another man's child. Things get even more emotionally complex when Capt Killig returnsAs you can see, it is a very soap operatic plot, and it takes shape in a fairy drab slow manner, with perhaps one too many sequences of sappy dialogue. But all is not lost yet. For a non- Hollywood production, I think that the Edge of Love is about as stylish a picture as one can get. It is certainly more dimensional and intelligent than about 90% of contemporary romances, Hollywood production or not. Some of it has to do with being set during the war, which sets up emotional conflict that feels more convincing and less artificial, a bit like Atonement. this one features acting and cinematography of equal talent to Joe Wright's Oscar nominee, but it is in far greater need for stable pacing and progression. Things are okay at the start and finish, but the middle section is where your attention span may be tested, unless you are deeply and profoundly rooted in the story. I doubt if The Edge of Love will have that kind of an effect on the viewer, but is a good film to check. it might even make a good date night movie, considering it is so much smarter than the chick flicks that boyfriends are forced to endure today.