Review: Enduring Love (18)

STARRING the new James Bond, Daniel Craig, as lecturer Joe, and Samantha Morton as his girlfriend Claire, Enduring Love is supposed to be a tale of obsession, love and suspense.

But despite being billed as a thriller, the film, based on Ian McEwan's best-selling novel of the same name, unfortunately fails to thrill.

Joe and Claire are having a picnic in a field. Joe is about to propose, when an out of control hot air balloon appears with a child trapped in the basket. Joe and some other bystanders rush over and each grab a rope to try to ground the balloon but a gust of wind takes it higher and forces all but one of the men to let go.

The balloon soars away with the last man is hanging on but he soon falls to his death.

Naturally, Joe is disturbed by what has happened but what takes place next is a bizarre twist. Jed, played by Rhys Ifans, who also let go of the rope, believes he and Joe have some sort of special bond and that they have fallen in love. And so he begins to follow him everywhere.

Joe starts losing the plot (and I must admit at this point so did I) and his relationship with Claire starts to break down, probably because he's a bit stressed out by the whole thing.

In true Rhys Ifans style, the actor was superb as the endearing but nutty stalker but the other characters were incredibly dull and the whole film seemed to plod along at a snail's pace. The opening scene with the balloon was quite impressive but the rest was just hot air.

Melina Cannon

l Enduring Love is available to rent from Blockbusters, Market Place, Bromsgrove.