They were young, educated, and both virgins on this, their wedding night, and they lived in a time when conversation about sexual difficulties was plainly impossible. So begins Ian McEwan’s 1960s-set novel, On Chesil Beach.
In adapting his own elliptical novel for the screen, McEwan emphasises that lack of meaningful communication between the young couple, neither of whom can talk to each other or their respective families. Their lack of knowledge results in tragic and devastating consequences.
As the uptight Florence, Saoirse Ronan beautifully portrays the terrified innocent, balanced perfectly with the awkward, bumbling Billy Howle. Acclaimed theatre director Dominic Cooke is at the helm, resulting in a tender, dialogue-rich love story.
Rating: 66%
Director: Dominic Cooke (TV’s The Hollow Crown)
Writer: Ian McEwan (The Good Son, The Ploughman’s Lunch) – adapted from his own novel
Main cast: Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird, Brooklyn), Billy Howle (Dunkirk, The Sense of an Ending), Anne-Marie Duff (Nowhere Boy, Suffragette)
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