Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The Deep Blue Sea

A London housewife, feeling unloved by and bored with her stuffy husband, begins an affair with a brash, young ex-RAF fighter still relishing in his wartime exploits from a few years back. After an ineffectual suicide attempt, their passionate relationship reveals its unsteady nature as the dour woman's notions of love and lust are explored. "The Deep Blue Sea" is a brooding and insightful film directed and adapted for the screen by Terrence Davies, from Terrence Rattigan's 1952 novel. Davies successfully recreates post WWII London and tells his story in a fragmented way, that features several grabbing, unique, and perfectly well-realized sequences (one of which is a flashback to a group hiding out in an underground tunnel during the bombing of Britain). Rachel Weisz is excellent in the leading role as the sullen and wanting lady, and Simon Russell Beale as her husband and Tom Hiddleston as her ardent lover are both great as well. "The Deep Blue Sea" is a deeply felt meditation on the definition of love, centered on its outstanding lead performance.