Enduring Love (2004)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Anthony L

  
  A huge disappointment, Enduring Love the film is a poor adaptation of a pretty good book. It's totally miscast, Craig is wooden and Ifans plays his serious character as if it were a comedy. The first 15 mins are truly captivating but it rapidly goes down hill from then on. A real… More
  A huge disappointment, Enduring Love the film is a poor adaptation of a pretty good book. It's totally miscast, Craig is wooden and Ifans plays his serious character as if it were a comedy. The first 15 mins are truly captivating but it rapidly goes down hill from then on. A real shame.

• Tim S

  
  The opening of this film is brilliant. I loved the set-up and the way that the story was set up. The way the film is shot and the overall look are great. Daniel Craig is really good in his role and he is supported by a nice cast (Morton, Nighy). There are even a couple of oh shit… More
  The opening of this film is brilliant. I loved the set-up and the way that the story was set up. The way the film is shot and the overall look are great. Daniel Craig is really good in his role and he is supported by a nice cast (Morton, Nighy). There are even a couple of oh shit moments that really caught me off guard. The problem is that the last shot of the film (which even appears as the credits are rolling) is absolutely atrocious. It makes no sense. It's too bad because everything leading up to it made for a pretty good movie.

• Drew S

  
  This film really resonated with me personally. I know it probably doesn't deserve this rating on an objective scale, but I liked it a lot. First off, there is the presence of Daniel Craig. Enough said. I like Samantha Morton a lot but her character is one of the biggest problems… More
  This film really resonated with me personally. I know it probably doesn't deserve this rating on an objective scale, but I liked it a lot. First off, there is the presence of Daniel Craig. Enough said. I like Samantha Morton a lot but her character is one of the biggest problems with this film. She is empty, walled-off and almost cruel to her husband, which doesn't necessarily make for a weakened movie, but her actions betray the realism of the narrative. (It starts to do that to itself later, but she's the first step of several.) She simply can't accept the fact that crazy Rhys Ifans is enamored with the man she loves, turning a blind eye to the most blatant of evidence. Her ignorance is unreal, existing only so that the plot can move around her rather than with her. Ifans himself delivers a rather divisive performance; it is a little hard to take him seriously, but he goes through the motions with such verve that you're tempted to just surrender to him. This somewhat reflects the narrative: after Joe and Claire witness a horrible hot air balloon accident, Jed (Ifans) develops an unrequited sort of bond with Joe, asking him to pray with him over a man's corpse. This soon extends to following him around, standing outside his window and creating horrifying murals. His conviction that "something passed between them" is so great that even Joe wonders if he has a point, if the incident created some twisted link between the men. Of course, things quickly go sour. This is adapted from what many call Ian McEwan's finest novel. What this movie amounts to is a stalker thriller with a swirl of shallow rumination about the nature of love thrown in for good measure. It hits its peak of ridiculousness at the climax, which is apparently nothing like that of the McEwan novel and solely exists to fulfill some trashy fantasy fodder. That said, it was kind of hot. I am a bad person. AND AFTER ALL THIS PANNING I'm still giving Enduring Love four stars. Like I said, I think it was exactly what I needed at that point in my life. Fed up with the shallow chemical reactions that constitute what we call "love" (which the movie attacks gracefully), wanting something alternately beautiful (this movie is gorgeously filmed and exploding with vivid colors) and heavy, something wistful and a little downtrodden. This really hit the spot. I don't think I'll ever watch it again, for fear that it'll compromise my memories of it, so I'll just store it away and not think about it too much anymore.

• Robert C

  
  We rented this on a fluke and were pleasantly suprised and slightly distrubed. It is a very quiet film with lots of twists and suprises, strenghtened by an exceptional cast.

• Lady D

  
  This film was slightly odd, in that there wasn't a great storyline, it's more about the events after a balloon crash and how it effects the main characters, however the quality of the acting particularly from Daniel Craig, but also from Rhys Ifans and Samantha made this film… More
  This film was slightly odd, in that there wasn't a great storyline, it's more about the events after a balloon crash and how it effects the main characters, however the quality of the acting particularly from Daniel Craig, but also from Rhys Ifans and Samantha made this film intriguing and worth watching

• Luke B

  
  A wonderful thriller. The beginning is simply superb with an intense tragedy. The rest of the film is beautifully shot and builds upon an obsessive and destructive relationship. A film with the power to make you uneasy as well as question what is exactly going on. I was so happy the… More
  A wonderful thriller. The beginning is simply superb with an intense tragedy. The rest of the film is beautifully shot and builds upon an obsessive and destructive relationship. A film with the power to make you uneasy as well as question what is exactly going on. I was so happy the ending wasn't some OTT psycho babble rubbish. There is certainly room for improvement, but as far as British films go, this aint bad.

• Lesley N

  
  The operative word is Enduring. I had a nice sleep during this one.

• Mike T

  
  It is a clunky, sometimes uneasy process getting through this film. It is also a frequently engaging experience, with some really strong writing and mostly competent direction from Roger Michell. The script is abound with structural issues - even when it feels contrived, the pacing is… More
  It is a clunky, sometimes uneasy process getting through this film. It is also a frequently engaging experience, with some really strong writing and mostly competent direction from Roger Michell. The script is abound with structural issues - even when it feels contrived, the pacing is off. However, it was the lack of plausible motives and distinct traits in the lead character that threw me off the most. Despite its flaws, it is an involving and articulate thriller that is driven by a considerably larger amount of intelligence than most commercial releases like it.

• Daniel P

  
  Daniel Craig and Rhys Ifans are fantastic. Review soon.

• William G

  
  Remarkably dread-inducing drama grounded by a compelling Craig.

• Ivan D

  
  The opening sequence of this drama was breathtaking in its simple depiction of a tragic accident. And as the film progresses, it goes on from a simple drama into an intense psychological torment for Daniel Craig's character. The climax felt a little flat, and so was the ending, a… More
  The opening sequence of this drama was breathtaking in its simple depiction of a tragic accident. And as the film progresses, it goes on from a simple drama into an intense psychological torment for Daniel Craig's character. The climax felt a little flat, and so was the ending, a weak way to kick off a film that started on a good note. Daniel Craig and Rhys Ifans were the highlight of the film, but the build-up of their characters' grotesque relationship was not enough.

• matt s

  
  If you ever thought Daniel Craig was just some hobo action star, watch this one and see him chew up the screen. There are some really flipping great shots in this film. The brief ending moment, it does suck, be forewarned, turn off this film right as the black screen begins.… More
  If you ever thought Daniel Craig was just some hobo action star, watch this one and see him chew up the screen. There are some really flipping great shots in this film. The brief ending moment, it does suck, be forewarned, turn off this film right as the black screen begins. Otherwise, it didn't deter me from enjoying this film that much. It's a nice flick that has enough moments to take your breath out of your lungs momentarily.

• Adam M

  
  An unsetting, dark drama. When Daniel Craig and his girlfriend witness a tragic hot air balloon accident one of the other few witnesses, Jed, starts follwing Craigs character, Joe, and becomes obsessed with him. No matter how angry Joe gets with him, Jed is convinced there is… More
  An unsetting, dark drama. When Daniel Craig and his girlfriend witness a tragic hot air balloon accident one of the other few witnesses, Jed, starts follwing Craigs character, Joe, and becomes obsessed with him. No matter how angry Joe gets with him, Jed is convinced there is something between them after they both witnessed the accident. This drives Joe even further into despair as he was already struggling with what happened. This is really gripping stuff with great performances. A very good psychological drama.

• John A

  
  Based on the Ian McEwan novel of the same name, this is a disturbing and engrossing psychological thriller that, despite its faults, provides a fascinating study and philosophy of love and obsession. After the genuinely shocking opening sequences, the story follows two witnesses of a… More
  Based on the Ian McEwan novel of the same name, this is a disturbing and engrossing psychological thriller that, despite its faults, provides a fascinating study and philosophy of love and obsession. After the genuinely shocking opening sequences, the story follows two witnesses of a horrific accident and how their lives intertwine, eventually spiralling toward confusion and tragedy. Daniel Craig and Samantha Morton are solid leads, the former particularly impressive, and Rhys Ifans is startlingly creepy as the infatuated and mentally disturbed individual, yet none of the performances stand-out as they should do, what with such an intriguing and thoughtful script. The director uses hand-held, shaky camera work and slow motion to place emphasis on humanity and feelings such as fear or regret extremely effectively, and the material is full of depth and ambiguity, brimming with undertones that don't need to fully manifest themselves to be understandable; it's the director's skill at handling what could have so easily been a routine thriller that gives this film its daring and captivating edge. Still, a few plot points were in desperate need of clarity to ensure the audience doesn't misunderstand certain conflicts or conversations, and the film becomes in danger of losing direction more than once in the second half. 'Enduring Love' is a thoughtful and different kind of psychological drama, one with its own opinions and ideas, and an absorbing execution that is worthy of your time.

• Barry L

  
  This film is great. Ifans plays an umbeleivable role as does Craig.

• Christopher B

  
  I got to see this in the theater as a sneak preview, knowing abslolutely nothing about it. At a certain point I thought, "This has to be a joke". I kept waiting for someone to switch on the lights and laugh at us for watching it. They'd laugh with delight, "This… More
  I got to see this in the theater as a sneak preview, knowing abslolutely nothing about it. At a certain point I thought, "This has to be a joke". I kept waiting for someone to switch on the lights and laugh at us for watching it. They'd laugh with delight, "This isn't a real movie you knuckleheads. This was written by a little baby! You're all so stupid". But I guess it is a real movie, a real crappy one.

Read all 16 featured audience ratings