The Edge of Love

Synopsis: The film tells the story of poet Dylan Thomas through the lives of two women he had entanglements with during his life.

Release Date: March 13, 2009     MPAA Rating: PG-13

Genre(s): Drama, Biography

Film Review

This is a movie full of complications. The complications of love, loss, desire, distance, fear, and war. It deals with a multitude of emotions and the commitments we encounter during life. What it offers is a great love story, one between two women thrown together in the toughest of times and with a common bond to begin with, that of a man. Their friendship is never simple, but their love for each other is fascinating in its complexity.

The camera says and does so much in this film it is mesmerizing at times. There is a constant play on light and shadows that adds great mystery to the women. The light, or lack of, is also always focused on the two women, Vera and Caitlin, because this is their story and the men merely a presence. In each of their life moments, big or small, the cinematographer (Jonathan Freeman) chose the perfect framing and shot size to exhibit the emotions or circumstance at hand. The camera is always playing with the viewer and drawing your eye to a different person, place or thing that is of importance at the distinct moment. One of the most splendid decisions would have to be the movement from close-ups to wide shots during very personal moments. You are never allowed to be let in completely to their selves but always kept at a distance. The mystery of their thoughts and feelings is always evident.

A grave disappointment in the film is the costuming. It is England during WWI so money is tight and textiles hard to come by. That is not the problem. The issue is in the form of dress the women wear. They do not appear to be in the right time period on many occasions. Some of the outfits look like something out of the 1960s or 1980s; they are far to modern to be believable. This does not dampen the story but it does change how you interpret actions made by both women. These may be modern women but they are not decades before their time in the fashion world.

Cast and Crew

• Director(s): John Maybury
• Producer(s): Sharman MacdonaldKeira Knightley (Vera Phillips)
• Screenwriter(s): Sienna Miller (Caitlin MacNamara)Cillian Murphy (William Killick)Matthew Rhys (Dylan Thomas)
• Story: 
• Cast:  Emma E. HickoxJonathan FreemanAlan MacDonald
• Editor(s): April Ferry
• Cinematographer: Angelo Badalamenti
• Production Designer(s):
• Costume Designer: 
• Casting Director(s): Framestore-CFC
• Music Score: 
• Music Performed By: 
• Country Of Origin: United Kingdom