Enduring Love *** (2004, Rhys Ifans, Daniel Craig, Samantha Morton, Bill Nighy, Susan Lynch, Corin Redgrave, Ben Whishaw) – Classic Movie Review 6892

Director Roger Michell’s weird, haunting and tantalising 2004 British film Enduring Love is written by screenwriter Joe Penhall, based on the 1997 novel by Ian McEwan.

The story concerns the perfect picnic of Joe (Daniel Craig) and Claire (Samantha Morton) being interrupted by witnessing a deadly accident as a hot air balloon drifts into their field. To try to bring the balloon and its boy passenger to safety, Joe joins three other men, including Jed Parry, who exchanges a passing glance with Joe, which burns into an obsession with Jed.

Rhys Ifans as Jed in Enduring Love (2004,).

The cast are Daniel Craig as Joe, Rhys Ifans as Jed, Samantha Morton as Claire, Bill Nighy and Susan Lynch as Joe’s friends Robin and Rachel, Justin Salinger as Frank, Ben Whishaw as Spud, Andrew Lincoln as TV producer, Helen McCrory as Mrs Logan, Anna Maxwell Martin as Penny and Corin Redgrave as The Professor.

It is difficult material to make work as a satisfying film, and a mixed success, but the convincing cast go to it with their special talent and a strong will, and it feels credible throughout. And indeed the film received mixed reviews but Empire magazine readers, voted it number 426 on their list of the 500 greatest films ever made. It does haunt the memory.

Enduring Love runs 100 minutes, is distributed by Pathe Pictures and Paramount Vantage, is written by Joe Penhall, is shot by Haris Zambarloukos, is produced by Kevin Loader, is scored by Jeremy Sams.

Roger Michell previously directed Rhys Ifans in Notting Hill (1999) and Daniel Craig in The Mother (2003).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6892

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

First Edition hardback cover of Enduring Love.