ON CHESIL BEACH
Based on Ian McEwan's novel. In 1962 England, a young couple find their idyllic romance colliding with issues of sexual freedom and societal pressure, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.
Director:
Dominic Cooke
Cast:
Saoirse Ronan, Emily Watson, Anne-Marie Duff
Screenplay:
Ian McEwan
Screening Date:
May 12, 2018
Studio:
Bleecker Street
Running Time:
110 Minutes
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29.4% | 23.4% | 27.4% | 11.7% | 7.8% |
“An exquisite movie on almost every level. Saoirse? That’s a given. She is a wonder, just watch her with her music group and she’s a different character completely. But the story was mesmerizing and a brilliant look at those times and people.”
“I somehow remember the book taking place in an earlier time than 1962 but it still resonates deeply. Very moving. I find Saoirse Ronan extraordinary in her ability to be a chameleon in every role she plays, she inhabits that character. Gorgeous cinematography and locations. Class differences are always present and even though Florence would like to be the submissive wife it’s not who she will ever be judging from her position in the quartet. Her sexual encounter with Edward is underscored by the sexual abuse she endured by her father.”
“We were never that awkward. This is my favorite music. Thank You!”
“One of the best examples of a story told largely in flashbacks. Frankly on many of them it’s often hard to get one’s bearings. And the two scenes of their futures were heartbreaking. OK approaching soap opera but effective nonetheless.”
“A maudlin and predictable film. Dreadful!”
(Spoiler Alert) “A superbly drawn story of the people and the times, but my only complaint is this - is the film about the repressive sexual attitudes of the time, or was it the story of a girl who gets sexually abused by her Dad? Pick one or the other.”
“I was confused to the fact that she might have gotten raped/abused. I thought that the little girl was his daughter and I didn’t know she got remarried, but other than that I liked the movie.”
“A very disappointing film.”
“Normally I don’t like a signaling soundtrack, but this film was an exception. The dichotomy between these 2 characters was completely embodied in their musical genres. And the crude understanding each had for each others music fully summarized the chasm between them. Chuck Berry equaled merry Mozart equaled sing along. They didn’t have a chance.”
“Loved the music.”
“This is why I belong to MEA. Here’s a very smart, brilliantly observant film of people and their stories that are lost in a multiplex of Marvel comics and superhero sagas. These people fighting everyday battles are the true superheroes.”
“Spare me! A dull story with dull characters, dull conflicts and dull scenery.”
“Loved the unpeeling of the history of the protagonists. Very beautiful story of two damaged souls who found each other.”
“Great acting, directing and cinematography but script terrible and trite.”
“Beautiful soundtrack and beautifully filmed. Beautiful actors.”
“Not the best, very droll. Maudlin and very predictable.”
“I enjoyed and was very moved by the film. They were flawed people who unfortunately did not know to work it out. Fabulous acting.”
“After Flo and Ed break up she apparently is able to handle sex with someone else since she has more than one child.”
“Well done, but slow. Loved the music.”
“Typical McEwan remembrances of the past. How experiences and choices affect lives that might have been. Excellent acting! Those Brits! Interesting choice of music.”
“A bit choppy and sappy. Too slow, rather tedious. I liked the book better. That said, the music was wonderful!”
“Contains very good angles. The storyline is very interesting and emotionally impacting. The photography was unique. The soundtrack was very connected with the time. The flashbacks and the flash forwards, time changes were very well structured.”
If you'd like to know more about the film...
Check out this piece on how music expresses what words and bodies can not in ON CHESIL BEACH.
https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2018/05/18/612028290/class...
Read about how novelist Ian McEwan became a movie consultant for his story ON CHESIL BEACH.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/11/books/ian-mcewan-chesil-beach.html
Learn about why SAOIRSE RONAN became the "go-to heroine" for Ian McEwan film adaptations.
http://www.newsweek.com/2018/05/04/saoirse-ronan-ian-mcewan-chesil-beach...
