Saturday November 1 Thame Cinema for All presents THE EDGE OF LOVE

Directed by John Maybury, Starring Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Matthew Rhys, Cillian Murphy, UK 2008, 110 mins

John Maybury’s visually sumptuous and richly atmospheric film is a bohemian and boozy tale of love, friendship and jealousy set against the backdrop of WWII. It centres on a triangular relationship between Dylan Thomas, his volatile wife Caitlin, and his old flame Vera, and the latter’s marriage to straight laced soldier William. The film kicks off in a claustrophobic Blitz era London, where Thomas is working for the MOI scripting propaganda films, and Vera is entertaining the refugees taking shelter in the underground. As the war escalates, the friends return to a pair of bungalows in coastal Wales to push the boundaries of their relationships, eke out a frugal (but by no means abstemious) existence, and await the return of a by now damaged William, a painful homecoming, which culminates in violence.  The film is particularly successful at articulating the gap between the experience of those at home, and that of the returning soldier, and Cillian Murphy’s performance as William is arguably the best of all (although anyone who doubts Miller’s capacity for drama and nuance should see this too).  So don your wellies and tea dresses and join us for a seductive and romantic treat. (Health warning: this film makes heavy drinking and chain smoking seem dangerously alluring.)

Back to Index