On Chesil Beach

 

(spoiler free)

‘On Chesil Beach’ is a British drama adapted for the screen by Ian McEwan from his novella of the same name which was nominated for a Booker Prize in 2007. The film stars the wonderful Saoirse Ronan, no doubt the reason for many’s interest in the picture. Acting alongside Ronan in the other leading role is relative newcomer, Billy Howle, probably best known for appearing in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’ last year. So evidently he film has some fine acting talent on show but would these young performers be able to carry the weight of McEwan’s adapted screenplay?

Set in 1962 England the main story in the film takes place on the wedding night of young couple, Florence & Edward. The pair have just been married and are enjoying their honeymoon by the sea. This is until they have to maneuver the more intimate relations that come with being man and wife, and it is here that they encounter some problems. This section of the narrative is very slow paced. This is due to the often awkward tone carried by the scenes in which the newlyweds engage for the first time as man and wife. These scenes evoke a mixture of responses, there’s a lot of cringing and this at times goes further with some truly heartbreaking moments featuring. However, on occasion there’s even some humour to be gleaned from these scenes, although this is usually very quickly replaced with one of the other responses already mentioned. It’s in these moments that the lead performers have to tackle some of the more challenging aspects of their roles. Both deal tremendously well with these more delicate moments and demonstrate their acting ability to great effect.

The rest of the film is made up of flashbacks from both main character’s perspectives in which we get to see how the couple meet, get to know each other and ultimately fall in love. These scenes were always much easier to watch, faster paced and more engaging. However there does come a point, combined with the slower paced main narrative where the whole film does simply become a little boring. However, it was if McEwan was aware that his screenplay needed a swift change of pace as shortly after this boredom commences a plot development occurs which will bring audiences right back into the drama. The film changes direction, moving forward rather than looking into the past. It’s once this change in narrative direction takes place that the real emotion hits home. Whilst the scenes that follow do seem somewhat rushed the way in which they affect the audience make up for this. They are very emotional, especially the final moments and they leave viewers with a good impression of the film. The hair & make-up employed to age the actors in these scenes is also very impressive and certainly deserves a mention as in this instance using the same actors carried much more emotional weight than casting older ones to portray the same characters.

‘On Chesil Beach’ is a timely drama for the era it’s set in and one that will be largely lost on the youth of today. Times have certainly changed but one thing that remains is the complexities of relationships and this drama showcases that excellently, especially for the time it’s set in. The two leading performances captivate for as long as possible however their strong efforts eventually subside under the weight of the slightly sluggish screenplay. All is not lost though, as the consistently impressive turns from Ronan & Howle combined with an uplift in pace for the films final moments provide a surprisingly powerful finale leaving audiences with a touching impression of an uneven film. 

Written by Hamish Calvert

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Rating – 6.5/10

Question: What is your favourite Saoirse Ronan film performance?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)

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