Review of Enduring Love (2004) by Heather V — 07 Jul 2005

I could probably review about 50 movies right now and still be behind, but I think I'll just stick with one, for now.

[b][u][color=white]ENDURING LOVE[/color][/u][/b].

This is a movie I've been meaning to see for some time. Aside from the fact that I think Samantha Morton is one of the finest actresses working today, the storyline also intrigued me. I was not disappointed.

I won't give too much away. I can recount what you'll see in the first three minutes, and that should be enough to get across how unsettling the film becomes. A young couple (Joe and Claire) are having a picnic in England's countryside when they are interrupted by a hot air balloon, one that seems to be headed for disaster right in the very field in which they're sitting. Joe (Daniel Craig) runs toward the balloon, hoping to help prevent the tragedy that looks ready to befall its occupants, a man and his grandson. Several other men who are nearby also rush to help. Needless to say, the rescue attempt is not entirely successful.

The rest of the film focuses on Joe's attempts to deal with the tragedy - the questions he asks himself about whether he held on as long as he could have, and so on - which is complicated by the daily (and CREEPY) appearance of Jed, another one of the men involved in the failed rescue. Rhys Ifans brilliantly plays this creepy fellow, whose motives are quite unclear - why does he want to obsess over Joe's participation in the accident? Why does he keep showing up at Joe's house, his work, his lunch meetings? Is Jed really the one who's crazy? Or is it Joe?

I wasn't thrilled with the ending, but the rest of it had me wincing in dread, never sure what was going to happen next, or who was truly mad. Bill Nighy also has a small role (I love him).

It's worth seeing, and it's rentable now as a new release in video stores...so give it a whirl and let me know if you found it as unsettling as I did. The openeing sequence will stick with me for a very, very long time...and I am NEVER going near a hot air balloon.