Review of Enduring Love (2004) by Ceph J — 23 Sep 2010

"Enduring Love" is actually a sarcastic view where the main character (Daniel Craig) says repeatedly that love is just a biological science. It's interesting when he explains this to his class but painful when he chides his fiancee and friends at an intimate dinner party. Why is he so upset? He's had a frightening experience with a man's death in a hot air balloon and is stalked by a witness (Rhys Ifans). Although Craig is overwrought, he does the best he can with this role.

The movie starts and ends in a beautiful field. At the beginning, Craig and Morton (his fiancee) are getting ready for a picnic when death comes unexpectedly in this gorgeous setting. It's a wonderfully photographed scene with beautiful cinematography and you feel that you're actually there on this field. In the end, the movie ends with redemption in this very location.

The third act of the film is too "Fatal Attraction" for my taste with a gay Ifans believing that Craig is his unreciprocal lover. I didn't like this part of the story since it's too creepy and a little homophobic. Also, Morton's character is so oblivious to what's going on, she comes across as a self-obsessed artist. However, as a fan of Craig's I enjoyed watching him as an everyday urban man caught up in events that he can't understand until it's too late. Craig is a good actor with a wide range who can play silent and with rage at the same time.