Running time: 100 minutes
Starring: Daniel Craig, Samantha Morton, Rhys Ifans, Bill Nighy, Susan Lynch
Rating 7 out of 10
Ian McEwan's literary career has been defined by novels which excel in getting under the skin - both of the central characters and of the reader. The cinematic translations of his works have been few, and mixed, with his script for The Ploughman's Lunch in 1983 and 1993's disturbing adaptation The Cement Garden being the highlights. Now director Roger Michell and playwright Joe Penhall take on what is arguably his most popular work, a story of obsession, identity and the bizarre workings of the mind and the result emerges as a successful and satisfying piece of modern British cinema.
If you ask anyone who has read the source novel what they remember most about it, they will undoubtedly cite the famous opening chapter, an exhilarating piece of writing involving a balloon accident in a field just outside London. Fortunately, and brilliantly, the film more than does this scene justice, turning it into a wonderfully-shot, exciting and traumatic opening to the movie, one of the best in recent memory. While what follows of the film may not reach its heady heights, it serves as an unforgettable prologue.
Joe (Daniel Craig) witnesses the accident along with his girlfriend Claire (Samantha Morton). As the film commences they are sitting in a field having a picnic and it seems that Joe is possibly about to pop the question. But events conspire to take his life in a very different direction, and when the stray balloon literally crashes their lunch, everything changes in an instant.
The result of the incident tie all of those involved together, in particular Jed (Rhys Ifans), a fellow witness, who becomes more than attached to Joe. A loner in shabby clothes, Jed beings to infiltrate Joe's life, and what seem initially like harmless requests to meet take a crazy turn when Jed confesses that he knows Joe loves him. Joe is aghast, realises that he has a stalker on his hands and tries to break free, but inevitably fails. Soon Jed is bumping into him in bookshops, appearing at this workplace and turning up at social events. Joe's relationship with Claire takes a downward turn and his friends, among them Robin and Rachel (Bill Nighy and Susan Lynch), offer casual support, not fully understanding the depth of Jed's obsession.
After his excellent work last year on The Mother, Roger Michell continues to show why he should be regarded as one of Britain's prized directors. Without reverting to flashy gimmicks, his ear for dialogue and story are again to the fore here and he is ably assisted by an excellent leading man in the shape of Daniel Craig. Here, Craig plays Joe as a rather gangly, awkward intellectual, a million miles from the recent drug czar he impressed with in Layer Cake.
As his snubbed lover, Ifans is also spot-on, although aficionados of the novel may not care for the changes to his character's background, as well as the weakening of Claire's character. . Minor quibbles apart though this is strong stuff: entertaining, thought-provoking and thoroughly well done.If you ask anyone who has read the source novel what they remember most about it, they will undoubtedly cite the famous opening chapter, an exhilarating piece of writing involving a balloon accident in a field just outside London. Fortunately, and brilliantly, the film more than does this scene justice, turning it into a wonderfully-shot, exciting and traumatic opening to the movie, one of the best in recent memory. While what follows of the film may not reach its heady heights, it serves as an unforgettable prologue.
Joe (Daniel Craig) witnesses the accident along with his girlfriend Claire (Samantha Morton). As the film commences they are sitting in a field having a picnic and it seems that Joe is possibly about to pop the question. But events conspire to take his life in a very different direction, and when the stray balloon literally crashes their lunch, everything changes in an instant.
The result of the incident tie all of those involved together, in particular Jed (Rhys Ifans), a fellow witness, who becomes more than attached to Joe. A loner in shabby clothes, Jed beings to infiltrate Joe's life, and what seem initially like harmless requests to meet take a crazy turn when Jed confesses that he knows Joe loves him. Joe is aghast, realises that he has a stalker on his hands and tries to break free, but inevitably fails. Soon Jed is bumping into him in bookshops, appearing at this workplace and turning up at social events. Joe's relationship with Claire takes a downward turn and his friends, among them Robin and Rachel (Bill Nighy and Susan Lynch), offer casual support, not fully understanding the depth of Jed's obsession.
After his excellent work last year on The Mother, Roger Michell continues to show why he should be regarded as one of Britain's prized directors. Without reverting to flashy gimmicks, his ear for dialogue and story are again to the fore here and he is ably assisted by an excellent leading man in the shape of Daniel Craig. Here, Craig plays Joe as a rather gangly, awkward intellectual, a million miles from the recent drug czar he impressed with in Layer Cake.
