ENDURING LOVE (2004)

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"God only knows where I'd be without you."

Director Roger Michell (Changing Lanes) brings us a very close adaptation to the novel of the same name by Ian McEwan (Atonement). Enduring Love is the story of one tragic accident, and the slow after math of one man's life as it unravels.

Daniel Craig (James Bond) plays Joe, a writer and professor. He plans a picnic one day where he intends to propose to his girlfriend Claire, played by Samantha Morton (The Libertine). Just as he is about to pop the question, we see Claire (Morton) staring past Joe (Craig). There is a hot air balloon adrift, and a man clinging to a rope trying to rein the balloon in.

Without giving away the "accident", I will say something awful happens, despite Joe's (and other kind citizens) help. The accident leaves Joe traumatized. He starts to see balloons everywhere he looks, and his once rational mind and life begin to take a turn for the worse.

Adding to Joe's problems is Jed, played by Rhyns Ifans (Vanity Fair). Jed was one of the people that tried to help with the hot air balloon. Joe and Jed have a normal exchange of words; basically talking about what they both just experienced. Well, Jed takes this the wrong way and thinks Joe "likes" him. He begins to stalk Joe, along with playing a bizarre psychological mind game with him, saying Joe is giving him all the "right" signals. This is so totally out of left field and completely not true. Joe starts to get highly irritated with Jed.

No matter what Joe says, Jed will not leave him alone. He "bumps" into him everywhere. Joe's relationship with Claire crumbles, along with his sanity, leading to a climactic ending.

It seems like an ordinary, simple enough story line, and it is, however, the director, along with the actors, turn this into a brilliant movie. I love the use of the camera angles, reflections, color, and scenery. Daniel Craig's acting is top-notch. He can switch moods from stable and secure to full blown anger flawlessly. Rhyns Ifans, I am not real familiar with, but he does a fine job playing the lonely, misinformed psycho, and Samantha Morton does well too, as the girlfriend who tries to help her lover, but fails miserably.

All in all, a great drama. If you want to see Daniel Craig play someone other than James Bond, then check it out.