Review of Enduring Love (2004) by Dave C — 10 Dec 2007

The story was concerned with searcing for meaning in the absurd and indeed the conclusion to this "thriller" is just as absurd as the tragedy which sparks it off. I'd be interested to read the book. As for the film, it's as farty and pretentious as they come. Why did we learn nothing about Joe's wife Claire? The cliche of the female scluptor/painter has been done to death (the Player anybody?), aside from that, she is window dressing. Even the rift in their relationship is more to do with Joe's completely uninteresting neurosis than anything tantamount to the suggestion that Claire has a mind of her own.

Our stalker Jed (Rhys Ifans) is played with subtle menace and the rest of the cast thankfully do their best too. The obvious culprits are behind the camera. Roger Mitchell, director of the mind-numbingly insipid Notting Hill, showed signs of talent with 2002's excellent Changing Lanes. As such, and taking into account its first rate cast, Enduring Love is nothing short of a crushing disappointment.