Enduring Love

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Enduring Love ★★ 2004 (R)

Brit psychodrama, based on Ian McEwan's 1997 novel, is triggered by a bizarre accident. A runaway hot air balloon disturbs the country picnic of science prof Joe Rose (Craig) and his girlfriend Claire (Morton). Several men, including Joe, try to rescue the boy trapped inside the balloon's basket and one would-be rescuer is killed. Joe doesn't know how to react and his conflict is echoed by loner/misfit Jed (Ifans), also on the scene. In fact, Jed is convinced that he and Joe now share a profound connection. His increasingly chilling persistence leads to the breakdown of Joe and Claire's relationship and Joe's own fury. Film heads down a predictable path and the characters become cliches but Craig and Ifans manage to overcome those limitations. 98m/C DVD . Daniel Craig, Rhys Ifans, Samantha Morton, Joe Dunton, Susan Lynch, Helen McCrory, Andrew Lincoln, Corin Redgrave; D: Roger Michell; W: Joe Penhall; C: Haris Zambarloukos; M: Jeremy Sams.