The Edge of Love

Set during the Second World War in both London and Wales, this film portrays the complex relationships between four real-life characters: the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (played by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys abandoning his American accent from the US television series "Brothers And Sisters"), his Irish wife Caitlin MacNamara (British actress Sienna Miller), his first love Vera Phillips (another British actress Keira Knightley) and Vera's husband the British soldier Captain William Killick (Irish actor Cillian Murphy). Many of the incidents represented are a matter of record but other occurrences are simply speculation on the part of screenwriter Sharman Macdonald (Knightley's mother).

In truth, it is Keira Knightley's film. Her striking physiognomy always makes her a pleasure to watch, but this is the finest performance of her young (still only 23) career, as she effects a decent Welsh accent and even sings in a nuanced act of thespian of which she can be proud. Director John Maybury does not make the character or the poetry of Dylan Thomas any more accessible but the bonding and bruising between his wife and his lover make for a humanistic tale.

Love triangle? Forget it, this is a love square involving famous poet Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys), his wife Caitlin (Sienna Miller), his lover and later her friend Vera (Keira Knightley) and an admirer of her, the soldier William (Cillian Murphy). But not necessarily involving all of them together, even though there's the knowledge of all parts that there's something on in between them. And the background of this turbulent relationship is England during World War 2 with the bombs falling over their heads while they "love" and hate each other, and write poems about it. "The Edge of Love" isn't a romantic story of meetings, falling in love and break-ups, it's the upside of those, it's everything else but love. Pitiful.

It's about selfish characters using the L word to express themselves and make this movie going. Whatever that was it wasn't love. Only William perhaps, he's the only genuine soul in this and the one who got hurt the most. A good lesson to be learned in here. If you're going to get too close, you really must try your best to know the other one. Strange friendship relations are also explored in here. In what world you would imagine a woman making friends with her husband's lover and expecting nothing more to happen? Whatever. William is real while the other folks were just exploiters seeking benefits, money or used as muses in order to "help" the creative genius of a nasty drunk bugger. And what was the point of this, anyway? To prove that friendship can last even after a lot of misunderstandings and betrayals? Gee, how exciting for a motion picture to be developed. Next time, a similar work (but better!) could be made about writer Euclides da Cunha (Google it, please!) and that would make a far more interesting (and even more tragic) piece than this film.

The real life, in this particular case, wasn't all that interesting, therefore this is a movie that not even a great screenplay would make it better. Skip this with no regrets and treat yourself with "Bright Star" which is about a real love story, with very meaningful things to say and there's the delightful words of John Keats to leave you marveled. In there, it's life and art combined producing quality material. Here, there's nothing. I know very little of Dylan Thomas and after "The Edge of Love" I'll still know very little of him. Why? Not only does this movie doesn't generate any kind of sympathy for the man (couldn't even care for the actor playing him as well), almost no attributes and it gives so little of the artist (which sounds very limited with his writings) that I simply lost it. I won't search for his books. And that's the worst kind of service a movie can make while making a portrayal of a real figure. As quoted by a famous character in another movie: "He was a genius, a poet and a drunk." I can only agree with the last part.

It wasn't that bad. There's a gorgeous cinematography very suitable for the game of appearances all the characters were involved, good costumes and art direction, and Cillian was the best thing in it with this decent guy who falls in love with the wrong person, goes to the war and sees its horrors to later return transformed and with his marriage going downhill, poor and with a kid to raise. I cared for this character, opposed to the poet which not only I hated but couldn't understand what women saw in him. It may be the words but those don't translated so well while echoed in tiring voice overs. It sounds pretentious and lifeless. And it certainly wasn't for the looks, since he was quite ugly and with no expression. Keira and Sienna work best when they're together sharing their stories and dreams; with the male actors is just embarrassing to look. Still one of the weakest films I've ever seen. 5/10.

This beautifully made film possibly evokes the feel of London in the blitz more than any other film. Set during wartime, it's about relationships and friendship. Primarily it's about the friendship between Keira Knightly's character and that of Siena Miller which is tested beyond any limit known to man.... or in this case, woman. Everyone looks great, everyone seems real and the very stylish photography and energy of the direction make this a real masterpiece of fine art.

The story, incidentally written by Keira Knightly's mother(!) brilliantly captures the mood and the anxieties, fears and hopes of the time and by focusing on the main, slightly unhinged characters, enhances these emotions and mental stains. Everything is switched up to level 11 but behind a mask of British restraint and respectability. The story arc itself is both engaging and genuinely exciting - it's not a soppy love story or a chic-flick for the poetry reading set - it's set during the war after all!

As much as the story is great, one big problem is that it is mainly made-up nonsense. The characters and events were real but they didn't happen like this. The real facts actually sound just as interesting but probably they would not have had Keira Knightly looking quite so hot? Never let the facts get in the way of a good story, as they say!

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas excused from serving in active duty is doing his bit for the war effort producing bits of prose for some propaganda branch of government in Whitehall.

Thomas is portrayed as a freethinker believing in free love married to a woman with an equally demanding artistic streak and likewise with a penchant for extramarital romance. Thomas writing and reciting his poetry in systematic domestic mayhem throughout becomes somewhat priggish towards the end, resting somewhat uncomfortably on his society connections and pulling rank on a war veteran, who had shot up his house, and who was incidentally married to the woman he had been having an affair with.

The real story of this film is the love of two women, one (Keira Knightley) whose first love was Thomas (Matthew Rhys), the second (Sienna Miller) who is Thomas's wife. At times it reminds of The Singing Detective, as in very good television with slightly sinister overtones laid on top of scenes of surreal camp absurdity.

I went to see this as the Edinburgh Film Festival the other day and I have to say I was a bit disappointed.

The score and the cinematography were lush and gorgeous and the acting was very good but the script lacked characterisation. I realise that Dylan Thomas was not meant to have been an overly pleasant man, but I failed to see why the seemingly likable, headstrong character of Vera Phillips ever fell in love with him. He came across as completely selfish and sleazy with virtually no redeeming qualities and it frustrated me that there seemed to be no explanation for every woman fawning over him. Characters made choices out of the blue and eventually I just grew to dislike all the characters I have loved in the first half.

What also grated about this film is that sometimes I swear I could have been watching 'Atonement' the amount of time Keira Knightley said "Come back to me." I really hope she wasn't trying to relive the glory of 'Atonement' through this film because I am afraid she will be sorely disappointed. Even though I personally did not enjoy 'Atonement' I can recognise that it is a marvellous film and sadly "The Edge of Love" just cannot compare.