Enduring Love is director Roger Michell and screenwriter Joe Penhall's adaptation of Ian McEwan's acclaimed novel. Joe (Daniel Craig, who starred in Michell's previous film, The Mother), a college professor, is out on a romantic picnic with his long-time girlfriend, Claire (Samantha Morton), a sculptor. Joe seems about to propose marriage to Claire when their world is upended by a freak accident. A hot air balloon lands in the field behind them -- its passengers in obvious distress. Joe and a
handful of other men run to help. Despite their efforts, a man falls to his death. Standing helplessly over his shattered body, Joe is joined by another would-be rescuer, Jed (Rhys Ifans, who co-starred in the director's Notting Hill), who suggests they kneel and pray. Joe, strictly a rationalist, does so reluctantly. Joe tries to get back to his routine, but he can't get the incident out of his head, and he is haunted by feelings of guilt and by ruminations about how things might have gone differently. Jed calls him out of the blue and urgently suggests that they meet. Jed soon makes it clear that he feels a connection to Joe that goes beyond their shared participation in the traumatic accident. He begins turning up everywhere Joe goes, sitting outside Joe's apartment at night. Worse yet, he insists that Joe is somehow sending him secret messages and leading him on. This potentially dangerous stalker begins to put a strain on Joe and Claire. As their relationship starts to disintegrate, Joe finds himself being pushed further and further from the rational, secure life he lived before that fateful day. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
Though Ifans has the splashier role, Craig, last seen in Michell's previous film, 2003's equally provocative The Mother, is outstanding as a man whose philosophy cannot be reconciled with his feelings.
If you don't have the range to play anything other than the same sort of comedic role as an over-the-top human oddity, maybe you shouldn't try to ply your trade as a dramatic actor.
The notion that being stalked can lead to a spiritual rebirth is pretty goofy, but Enduring Love is skillful enough to make it seem like a reasonable proposition.
Wholly absorbing... subtly trapping us in the perspective of a beleaguered protagonist, who himself is trapped in an inchoate state of grief and fantasy.
A huge disappointment, Enduring Love the film is a poor adaptation of a pretty good book. It's totally miscast, Craig is wooden and Ifans plays his serious character as if it were a comedy. The first 15 mins are truly captivating but it rapidly goes down hill from then on. A real shame.
The opening of this film is brilliant. I loved the set-up and the way that the story was set up. The way the film is shot and the overall look are great. Daniel Craig is really good in his role and he is supported by a nice cast (Morton, Nighy). There are even a couple of oh shit moments that really caught me off
guard. The problem is that the last shot of the film (which even appears as the credits are rolling) is absolutely atrocious. It makes no sense. It's too bad because everything leading up to it made for a pretty good movie.
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