Who's in it? Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy, Matthew Rhys
The plot Written by Keira's playwright mother, Sharman Macdonald, the film is loosely based on David Thomas's book, Dylan Thomas: A Farm, Two Mansions and a Bungalow, about the liaisons and complicated love life of the famous Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas.
Opening with a shot of Keira's exquisite face as she, as Dylan's first love Vera Phillips, sings in a club, the tone is set for a dreamy, though explosive love story that's unconventional to say the least. Bumping into Dylan (Rhys), Vera and the poet soon find that there's still a spark between them, despite his marriage to the sprightly Caitlin (Miller). What should have developed into a bitter rivalry between the women, actually evolves into a deep friendship, with the trio vacationing and, to all intents purposes, living together. But Vera's marriage to soldier William Killick (Murphy) unleashes a jealousy of epic proportions in the possessive Dylan, who is then thrilled when William is sent off to war, and the three can resume their bohemian existence in the Welsh countryside.
But when William returns, the two men's rivalries result in an explosive event in which William shoots up the Thomases home, and Thomas shows his true colours and lack of empathy on the witness stand.
What we liked The leads are all superbly cast here, with the friendship between Vera and Caitlin all too believable. Murphy shines as the keep-it-all-inside William, whilst Rhys makes human a very unsympathetic character in Thomas. Plus, the Welsh landscape is just as stunning as Ms Knightley.
What we didn't like How about the fact that a film, released in the UK in 2008, is only just making it to our shores. Time delay, much?
e+ says A beautiful film, proving that there's talent in Ms Miller after all.
Our rating 4/5
