500 Days Of Film Reviews The Deep Blue Sea And Finds An Emotional Drama About Love And Loss
After the end of the second World War, Britain is struggling to readjust and rebuild.
What does the future hold for those who have seen so much horror?
Where do they find purpose in peacetime?
Hester (Rachel Weisz) is trapped in a privileged yet loveless marriage with British High Court judge, Sir William Collyer (Simon Russell Beale).
She feels repressed and suffocated by her life and looks outside of it to find love and passion.
She begins an affair with a young ex-RAF pilot, Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston) who at first seems to offer her the life that she desires.
However, in the same way that she cannot return the love of her husband, Freddie cannot live up to her hopes and demands - leaving Hester trapped by her life once more.
Is It Any Good?
I really enjoyed The Deep Blue Sea. It has a wonderful, theatrical quality. Unsurprising really since it is based on the 1952 play by Terrance Rattigan.
The film looks gorgeous and all of the central performances are superb.
This is, of course, such an interesting era in British history. There remains a lot of ‘stiff upper lip' but also a need for change. The Deep Blue Sea portrays this tension beautifully.
For example, special mention must go to the scenes between Hestor and her mother-in-law (played brilliantly by Ann Mitchell). The tension here is wonderful.
I also loved the way the film dealt with its theme of unrequited love. It felt so sad and so real.
The film moves at a slow pace and you could argue that not a lot actually happens. You could also argue that this is a depressing movie with little entertainment value.
However, I would disagree. The story here is in the portrayal of emotions - and these are as stunning as they are heartbreaking.
Random Observations
I thought the central performances were stunning in this film.
There are absolutely no sharks here.