Sunday 26 June 2022

The Edge of Love (2008 John Maybury)

Oh... The Jacket. That's where we know him from, and offers the connection to Emma Hickox. He was also known for a film about Francis Bacon (Love is the Devil), and thus has a penchant for (a) weird subject matter (b) historical drama (c) gay cinema (his early work was music videos for the likes of Marc Almond and Boy George).

This exposes Dylan Thomas (who Q fittingly describes as the Destroyer) who seemed entirely unlikable, though the film's really about the relationship between his wife Sienna Miller, and a former lover of his, Keira Knightley, who is also courted by soldier Cillian Murphy (it's 1942 Britain).

Dylan's played by Matthew Rhys, and his unlikableness, and the strange behaviour of his wife, make it hard to swallow. It's written by Sharman Macdonald, from an idea by Rebekah Gilbertson, who both should have known better.

The direction is frequently pretentious, using all manner of reflections and upside-down shots. These screen shots are symptomatic:

Pop video

Scramble jamble

Emma's notable contributions are some Jacket-like furious war sequences and a shimmery, dissolve-heavy love scene, perhaps influenced by her mum. Jonathan Freeman's photography (Hollywoodland, Rome, Boardwalk Empire) and Angelo Badalamenti's score are other assets.

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