| The Edge of Love | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | John Maybury |
| Written by | Sharman Macdonald |
| Starring | Keira Knightley Sienna Miller Cillian Murphy Matthew Rhys |
| Music by | Angelo Badalamenti |
| Cinematography | Jonathan Freeman |
| Editing by | Emma E. Hickox |
| Release date(s) | United Kingdom 18 June 2008 (Edinburgh Film Festival) (premiere) 20 June 2008 (wide) Australia 21 August 2008 New Zealand 2 October 2008 United States 13 March 2009 (limited) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Edge of Love is a 2008 John Maybury film starring Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys from a script by Sharman Macdonald, Knightley's mother.[1] Originally titled The Best Time of Our Lives, the story concerns the famous Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (played by Rhys), his wife Caitlin Macnamara (played by Miller) and their married friends, the Killicks (played by Knightley and Murphy). It was an official selection at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
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The story is based loosely on real events and people, drawing on David N. Thomas' book Dylan Thomas: A Farm, Two Mansions and a Bungalow. During the London blitz of World War II, Vera Phillips (Keira Knightley) runs into her first love, charismatic Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys). Their feelings for each other are rekindled, despite the fact that Dylan is now married to and has a child with the spirited Caitlin Macnamara (Sienna Miller). In spite of their initial rivalry, the two women become friends, and the three get along well, drinking heavily in wartime London. At this time, soldier William Killick (Cillian Murphy) pursues Vera, and the two marry before he is sent to war. Vera gives birth to his baby, and she and the Thomases move to the Welsh seashore to raise their children in two neighboring cottages. There, Vera and Dylan restart their affair. When William returns home from horrifying experiences on the battlefield, he is unstable and cannot handle being a civilian, being a new father, and his suspicions of his wife's infidelity. Severely drunk one night and angry with Dylan's friends' ignorant talk of war, he takes a machine gun and grenade to the Thomases' cottage and fires ten shots at the walls and ceiling. He hits no one, but is arrested and taken to trial. Dylan testifies against him, exaggerating the facts and stating that he believed Killick was sober and meant to kill him, his wife, and his child. The jury finds William innocent of intent to murder, and he returns home to accept his new role as a father. In the last scene of the film, the Thomases move out of their cottage. Vera and Caitlin part fondly, but Vera ignores Dylan, unable to forgive him for testifying against her husband.
| Keira Knightley | Vera Phillips |
| Cillian Murphy | William Killick |
| Sienna Miller | Caitlin Macnamara |
| Matthew Rhys | Dylan Thomas |
| Lisa Stansfield | Ruth Williams |
| Graham McPherson | Al Bowlly |
| Camilla Rutherford | Nicolette |
| Alastair Mackenzie | Anthony Devas |
| Richard Dillane | Lt Col David Talbot Rice |
| Huw Ceredig | John Patrick |
| Simon Armstrong | Wilfred Hosgood |
| Rachel Essex | Mel |
| Nick Stringer | PC Williams |
| Anthony O'Donnell | Jack Lloyd |
| Rachel Bell | Midwife |
| Anne Lambton | Anita Shenkin |
| Karl Johnson | Dai Fred |
| Richard Clifford | Alistair Graham |
| Bethany Towell | Rowatt 1 month |
| Acacia Pattinson Biggs |
The film made its world premiere opening the Edinburgh Film Festival on 18 June 2008. It was released in London and Dublin two days later, with a Welsh premiere taking place in Swansea (the birth place of Dylan Thomas) on the same night, to be attended by Matthew Rhys. A national release follows in the UK and Ireland on 27 June 2008.[2] An exhibition of costumes, scripts and props from the film was on display at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea until September, 2008 .
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that the film received a 34% "rotten" rating, based on 53 reviews by critics.[3] The Hollywood Reporter critic Ray Bennett commented that The Edge of Love is a "wonderfully atmospheric tale of love and war" and stated about Knightley and Miller that; "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."[4]
As of August 25, 2008, the movie review aggregator, Metacritic, awarded the film a score of 39 denoting "generally unfavorable reviews".[5] In Variety, 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."[6]
Mark Kermode described the film as "inert" and said that the script was "flawed but not without some form of admirable merit".[7] 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."[8]
Sienna Miller received a nomination as Best Supporting Actress at the British Independent Spirit Awards.[9]
At the 2010 Vits Awards it received 3rd Place in "Bottom 5 Movies". In addition, it was nominated for "Worst Directing" and "Worst Script".
| The Edge Of Love (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Angelo Badalamenti | |
| Released | 24 June 2008 |
| Genre | Soundtrack |
| Professional reviews | |
The Edge Of Love soundtrack by Angelo Badalamenti includes performances by lead singers Keira Knightley, Siouxsie Sioux, Suggs, Patrick Wolf, and Beth Rowley. Siouxsie performs the second version of "Careless Love".
The composer performed the soundtrack live with Siouxsie and Beth Rowley in Ghent, at the World Soundtrack Awards, in October 2008.[10]