Enduring Love DVD Review:

While enjoying a picnic on a summer’s afternoon, Joe (Craig) and Claire (Morton) become involved in a rescue attempt that goes disastrously wrong. Traumatised by what he witnessed during that eventful, Joe finds solace talking to Jed (Ifans), who was involved in the rescue. When Jed starts to try and put himself more and more into his life, Joe tries to distance himself from him but Jed will not leave him alone.

With one of the most gripping opening scenes ever witnessed on film, can ‘Enduring Love’ keep up this momentum for the entire film?

Based on the best selling novel by Ian McEwan, ‘Enduring Love’ is a story of obsession, both physical and mental. This is the tale of Joe, a man who witnessed a most horrific event and is plagued by the notion ‘could I have done more’. This thought becomes an obsession, which drastically affects his life and relationship. It is also about Jed, a fellow witness who shared a profound moment with Joe, which leads him to think that they have a connection that can never be broken and they should share this for the rest of their lives. Each of these obsessions completely consumes each of them and sets them both on a very destructive path.

Bringing these complicated characters to life are two exceptional performances from Daniel Craig and Rhys Ifans. Daniel Craig is slowly making a name for himself as one of the UK’s best up and coming actors. ‘Enduring Love’ adds to his glowing résumé as he creates another everyman character that people can easily connect with. Joe is a man ripped apart by what he has witnessed. Riddled with the guilt of thinking he could have done more, Joe becomes of obsessed with reliving the event and this slowly unravels the life he has made for himself. Daniel Craig plays this superbly and brings a complete believability to the character and his situation. Rhys Ifans continues to show his Chameleon like qualities by taking on a real variety of characters. As Jed he also witnessed the tragic event and this affected him in a very different way. Instead of becoming obsessed with what he saw he became fanatical about sharing his survival with Joe, to the point that Joe became his obsession. This shows that there is more to Rhys Ifans than the best friend roles in romantic comedies that we associate him with. He is an accomplished actor who has a greater range that you might have thought.

The leading pair also has some good support. Samantha Morton continues to impress as Joe’s girlfriend, Claire. This is another driven and natural performance from an actress you cannot help but be impressed her acting talent and her commitment to her character. Bill Nighy and Susan Lynch are also good as Joe and Claire’s friends, Robin and Rachel.

‘Enduring Love’ is a powerfully acted film about the consuming effects of obsession. The performances are enthralling throughout and while the story doesn’t quite keep up the same level of tension that the opening sequence creates, this is still another fine example of a story driven British drama.

Star Rating = * * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, this is an excellent transfer. The picture quality is crystal clear throughout, really enhancing the look of the film and increasing impact of the opening scenes. The sound quality is also good as it emphases the dialogue of this character driven piece.

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary
Director Roger Michell and producer Kevin Loader come together to talk about the making of ‘Enduring Love’. The reveal how much preparation went into the opening sequence of the movie and how much pressure they were under to deliver an opening as powerful and momentous as the novel. They then discuss casting, the characters and the how they changed some story elements from those found in the book. The pair also talks about the more technical aspects of the shoot, revealing lighting and camera techniques used to produce the look of the film. This is an informative and even educational commentary track that is a good listen for anyone who likes to know about the filmmaking process.

Deleted Scenes (6.44 mins)

These eight deleted scenes highlight more of the interaction between Joe (Daniel Craig) and Jed (Rhys Ifans) but with a commentary or introduction we don’t know why these scenes were removed from the final version of the movie.

‘Burst’ Short Film (6.23 mins)

Directed by Oliver Peniston Bird, this short film introduces you to the ‘face of British Cinema’ Maxwell McCourtney. Stars such as Daniel Craig, Rhys Ifans, Bill Nighy, Susan Lynch and Normski tell you what they think about the superstar as he prepares for an exclusive dinner party.

The Actor’s Story (7.03 mins)

Director Roger Michell, screenwriter Joe Penhall, producer Kevin Loader and stars Daniel Craig, Rhys Ifans, Samantha Morton and Bill Nighy talk about been involved with ‘Enduring Love’. The group discuss what is meant by love, what drives obsession, the characters and casting and their thoughts about the film.

The Film and the Novel (5.31 mins)

Director Roger Michell, screenwriter Joe Penhall, producer Kevin Loader and novelist Ian McEwan talk about bringing the book to the silver screen. The group talk about the translating the balloon incident from page to screen, changes to the story, novelist approval and the themes of the story.

Balloon Featurette (4.56 mins)

Director Roger Michell, producer Kevin Loader, novelist Ian McEwan and star Bill Nighy take you behind the scenes of the opening scene of ‘Enduring Love’. The complexity of the scene is discussed as we see the preparation from storyboard to shooting and the problems that come with working with hot air balloons.

Theatrical Trailer and TV Spots (3.00 mins)

Watch the trailer and two TV spots that were used to promote the movie.

Trailers
Previews of ‘House of Flying Daggers’, ‘Dear Frankie’, ‘Creep’, ‘Sideways’, ‘Flight of the Phoenix’ and ‘Kingdom of Heaven’

OVERALL

Pathé have done a good job with the DVD release of ‘Enduring Love’. The commentary track is very informative, the featurettes cover most aspects of the film’s production and the deleted scenes are good even if you don’t know why they were removed. The inclusion of the short film ‘Burst’ is an added bonus that makes this a good DVD package.



Jamie Kelwick