The Deep Blue Sea

Movie Name: The Deep Blue Sea

Year of Release: 2012

Director: Terence Davies

Stars: Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston, Simon Russell Beale, Harry Hadden-Patton, Sarah Kants, Karl Johnson, Ann Mitchell

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Acclaimed director Terence Davies returns after 12 years, when his last feature film premiered, the fantastic "The House of Mirth". "The Deep Blue Sea" is the adaptation of Terence Rattigan's play, and it follows the life of Hesther Collyer and her tribulations in the London of the 1950s. Hesther is married to an older man, a magistrate who adores her, but falls in love with a younger man, a former soldier who fought WW2. Their relationship is volatile, but Hesther is overwhelmed by the feelings she has never experienced before. Once Freddie finds work, things change for the both of them.
Terence Davies films echo a lot of his own experiences growing up in London after WW2, as can be seen in his remarkable feature "Distance Voices, Still Lives". "The Deep Blue Sea" goes back to that particular time frame, and follows the unraveling of a woman who finds love with the wrong person. Hesther who never felt so rapture in a feeling that overwhelms her, simply can't turn away from a situation that she knows is simply wrong. The film lives from the delicate balances of the three main leads, who all create fully realized characters, in particular Rachel Weisz, who with her looks, silences and gestures, creates a woman that is tender, but also strong enough to know what she wants. The cinematography and music also add a beautiful part to a film that is another strong statement to the body of work of Terence Davies.