| The Edge of Love | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Maybury |
| Written by | Sharman Macdonald |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jonathan Freeman |
| Edited by | Emma E. Hickox |
| Music by | Angelo Badalamenti |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Lionsgate[1] Capitol Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Edge of Love is a 2008 Britishbiographicalromanticdrama film directed byJohn Maybury and starringKeira Knightley,Sienna Miller,Cillian Murphy, andMatthew Rhys. The script was written by Knightley's mother,Sharman Macdonald.[2] Originally titledThe Best Time of Our Lives, the fictional story concerns Welsh poetDylan Thomas (played by Rhys), his wifeCaitlin Macnamara (played by Miller) and their married friends, the Killicks (played by Knightley and Murphy). The film premiered at theEdinburgh International Film Festival on June 18, 2008, and was released in the UK theatres two days later to mostly unfavorable critical reviews.
The story is loosely based on real events and people, drawing on Rebekah Gilbertson's idea andDavid N. Thomas' 2000 bookDylan Thomas: A Farm, Two Mansions and a Bungalow.[3] He has since written further about Dylan and Vera, highlighting the several deceits in the film that trivialised their friendship. He has described how Dylan and Vera were related as cousins, and the extent to which their families inter-married, farming together as neighbours on theLlansteffan peninsula in Carmarthenshire.[4]
During theLondon Blitz, nightclub singer Vera Phillips runs into her first love, charismatic Welsh poetDylan Thomas. Although Dylan is now married to Caitlin Macnamara, with whom he has a son, he and Vera rekindle feelings for one another. The two women, initially rivals, become best friends. Drinking heavily in wartime London, the three come to get along.
William Killick, a British Army officer, begins to pursue Vera. Both Vera and Caitlin are intrigued by his steadfast, gallant personality despite its contrasts with Vera's rebelliousness. William notices Vera's closeness to Dylan, but doesn't appear concerned; he and Vera even lend the struggling poet some of their savings. William and Vera fall in love and marry. Soon afterward, William is called up to fight against theGerman invasion of Greece after the Italiansfailed.
Shortly after William's departure, Vera discovers she is pregnant. Upset that motherhood will take away her independence, she contemplates aborting the child but cannot bring herself to do so. She gives birth to a son and moves to the Welsh seashore with Dylan and Caitlin to raise their children in two small neighbouring cottages. Vera and Caitlin's friendship grows stronger while Dylan and Caitlin's marriage becomes distorted by multiple infidelities. Dylan draws Vera into an affair with him.
William returns a captain, scarred by the horrors of the war. Vera notices his emotional distance and instability. William suspects his wife of infidelity and confronts her. Vera confesses to both William and Caitlin, who are furious with her. One evening, while severely inebriated and angry with Dylan's friends for their ignorant remarks on the war, William wanders outside and fires multiple shots into Dylan and Caitlin's home. He does not hit anyone, and Vera calms him down. The next morning, William seems to have returned to his former self. However, he is arrested and taken to trial.
During the trial, Dylan testifies against William and distorts the facts, claiming that William was sober and intended to kill Dylan, Caitlin, and their child. The jury finds William innocent of intent to murder. After returning home, William accepts his new role as a father, and he and Vera forgive each other. Their relationship improves. Dylan and Caitlin move out of their cottage. During the farewell, Vera restores her friendship with Caitlin, but she never speaks to Dylan again, unable to forgive him for testifying against her husband.
The cast included:[5]
The film made its world premiere opening at theEdinburgh Film Festival on 18 June 2008. It was released inLondon andDublin two days later, with aWelsh premiere taking place inSwansea (the birthplace ofDylan Thomas) on the same night, attended byMatthew Rhys. A national release followed in the UK and Ireland on 27 June 2008.[6] An exhibition of costumes, scripts and props from the film was on display at theDylan Thomas Centre inSwansea until September 2008.The Edge of Love has earnedUS$3,238,922 in gross revenue since its June 2008 release.[7]
The Edge of Love received mostly unfavorable reviews from critics. OnRotten Tomatoes, the film received a 39% rating based on 57 reviews, with an average rating of 5.10/10. The site's consensus reads: "Despite effective performances from Knightley and Miller,The Edge of Love lacks a coherent narrative".[8]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average score, gave the film 39 out of 100 based on reviews from 13 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[9]
InVariety, Leslie Felperin commented: "While the period drama has several redeeming features, tonally it's all over the map, veering between artsy stylization and hum-drum, sometimes almost twee melodrama."[10]Mark Kermode described the film as "inert" and said that the script was "flawed but not without some form of admirable merit".[11]
The Independent felt that "Maybury's stylisation makes the film more interesting than it would have been if directed by your average British journeyman, but it finally adds up to earnest heritage romance."[12] InThe Guardian, reviewerPhilip French said, "This is a fascinating story, its chronology somewhat muddled and its dramatic thrust rather obscure."[6]
The Hollywood Reporter critic Ray Bennett commented thatThe Edge of Love is a "wonderfully atmospheric tale of love and war" and stated about Knightley and Miller; "the film belongs to the women, with Knightley going from strength to strength (and showing she can sing!) and Miller again proving that she has everything it takes to be a major movie star."[13]
Sienna Miller received a nomination as Best Supporting Actress at the2008 British Independent Film Awards.[14]
| The Edge of Love (Music from the Motion Picture) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 24 June 2008 |
| Genre | Soundtrack |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [15] |
| Discogs | 5 / 5 |
The Edge of Love soundtrack byAngelo Badalamenti includes songs byKeira Knightley,Siouxsie Sioux,Suggs,Patrick Wolf, andBeth Rowley. Siouxsie performs the second version of "Careless Love", while Wolf performs "Careless Talk".
The composer performed the soundtrack live with Siouxsie andBeth Rowley at theWorld Soundtrack Awards inGhent in October 2008.[16]