"On Chesil Beach" (2017 release from the UK; 120 min.) brings the story of Florence and Edward/. As the movie opens, we are informed it is "1962", and we see Florence and Edward walking near the seaside somewhere in England. They retreat to their hotel and we understand this is their wedding night. The couple have ordered room service for their dinner, and after the waiters have finally left, they awkwardly commence their dinner. We then go back in time to when Florence mentions to her parents for the first time that she's met someone... At this point we're 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple f comments: this is the big screen adaptation of the Ian McEwan best-selling book of the same name. In fact McEwan wrote the script for the film. I have not read the book, and hence cannot comment to what extent, if any, the movie differs from the book plot-wise. The film cut back and forth between the wedding night where the couple is trying to make love for the first time (yes, different times!), and earlier scenes, such as when they meet for the first time at a student initiative at Oxford University. For whatever reason, the movie fails (spectacularly, at that) to explain how these two people fell in love. I kept hoping that at some point a spark would ignite but it never happens. Saoirse Ronan, still only 23 yrs. old, does the best she canunder the circumstances, but even she cannot save this movie. Billy Howle as Edward is okay. I can only hope that "The Seagull", in which Ronan and Howle also co-star (and whose trailer played before "On Chesil Beach" in the theater) is miles better than this. Ultimately the blame for this must be cast at the feet of British director Dominic Cooke, a veteran of the English theater and here directing his debut feature film.
"On Chesil Beach" premiered at last Fall's Toronto International Film Festival, and I was looking forward to seeing this. The movie opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Saturday matinee screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (about 10 people). I had high expectations for "On Chesil Beach", and, sadly, in the end I was immensely disappointed with the film. Nevertheless, if you are in the mood for a romantic movie and the mood strikes your fight, I'd encourage you to check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple f comments: this is the big screen adaptation of the Ian McEwan best-selling book of the same name. In fact McEwan wrote the script for the film. I have not read the book, and hence cannot comment to what extent, if any, the movie differs from the book plot-wise. The film cut back and forth between the wedding night where the couple is trying to make love for the first time (yes, different times!), and earlier scenes, such as when they meet for the first time at a student initiative at Oxford University. For whatever reason, the movie fails (spectacularly, at that) to explain how these two people fell in love. I kept hoping that at some point a spark would ignite but it never happens. Saoirse Ronan, still only 23 yrs. old, does the best she canunder the circumstances, but even she cannot save this movie. Billy Howle as Edward is okay. I can only hope that "The Seagull", in which Ronan and Howle also co-star (and whose trailer played before "On Chesil Beach" in the theater) is miles better than this. Ultimately the blame for this must be cast at the feet of British director Dominic Cooke, a veteran of the English theater and here directing his debut feature film.
"On Chesil Beach" premiered at last Fall's Toronto International Film Festival, and I was looking forward to seeing this. The movie opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Saturday matinee screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (about 10 people). I had high expectations for "On Chesil Beach", and, sadly, in the end I was immensely disappointed with the film. Nevertheless, if you are in the mood for a romantic movie and the mood strikes your fight, I'd encourage you to check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.