X
- 2018
- R
- Bleecker Street Media
- 1 h 50 m
- 2018
- R
- Bleecker Street Media
- 1 h 50 m
Summary Adapted by Ian McEwan from his bestselling novel, the drama centers on a young couple of drastically different backgrounds in the summer of 1962. Following the pair through their idyllic courtship, the film explores sex and the societal pressure that can accompany physical intimacy, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.
Directed By: Dominic Cooke
Written By: Ian McEwan
- 2018
- R
- Bleecker Street Media
- 1 h 50 m
- 2018
- R
- Bleecker Street Media
- 1 h 50 m
On Chesil Beach
62
6.2
Where to Watch
Summary Adapted by Ian McEwan from his bestselling novel, the drama centers on a young couple of drastically different backgrounds in the summer of 1962. Following the pair through their idyllic courtship, the film explores sex and the societal pressure that can accompany physical intimacy, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.
Directed By: Dominic Cooke
Written By: Ian McEwan
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
62
52% Positive
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
45% Mixed
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
62
52% Positive
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
45% Mixed
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
It’s a lyrical and rapturous film — a repressed passion play, funny, delicate and heartbreaking.
On Chesil Beach can feel like observing a deli worker slice a small piece of rancid cured meat, in increasingly transparent slivers of prosciutto-like thinness, and then holding them up to the light for inspection.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 30 User Ratings
6.2
47% Positive
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
47% Mixed
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
7% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 30 User Ratings
6.2
47% Positive
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
47% Mixed
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
7% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
I thought this film was quite good, in terms of it being somewhat atmospheric, with some nice landscape shots of the titular pebble beach, with mist around and in some nice interior settings. Its a somewhat thoughtful watch, with a good performance by Saoirse Ronan. I particularly enjoyed the instrumental/classical music pieces played during the film, often live performances. Its a good period drama, mainly set in the 1960s but also the early 1970s. Its not an outstanding watch or anything and it is perhaps a little moody and pessimistic in tone for some but its by no means a bad film and so I'd recommend it on that basis.
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It’s a shame when the third act of a film nearly sinks a film after two solid acts. Sadly, this is the case for the Ian McEwen adaptation of his 2014 novel. Newly married couple Edward (Billy Howe) and Florence (Saoirse Ronan) are on their honeymoon when they come across a problem they haven’t had to deal with before in their chaste upper/middle class 1962 England: they aren’t ready for sex. Leading up to the explosion of emotion and turning point of the film at the titular location, we see two narratives: the disastrous attempts at the act, and the courtship of the two charming leads. As the newlyweds, both Howe and Ronan shine; especially Ronan, now eleven years after breaking out with the last McEwan adaptation ATONEMENT, who can say so much with the slightest look. Their courtship is by most points standard, it’s wonderful to watch them come together and fall in love, and they sell the awkward interactions of two people truly alone for the first time who know what they need and want to do but unsure of how to proceed best. So what’s the issue? The aforementioned issue coming to head, the argument and revelations on Chesil Beach doesn’t fit. At this point, it betrays the characters growths and actions of the preceding acts; coming from nowhere. They feel like totally different characters. While it’s supposed to be, how both react is just eye-rolling absurd. It also functions as the climax of the film, leading to the after-effects third act to feel like a very long coda instead of continuing the story. All the steam is gone; causing a disjointed narrative. This could work very well in a novel format (I’ve not read this so don’t quote me if it does in the actual work), but doesn’t translate to the way stories unfold on screen.
I really wanted to like On Chesil Beach, and for a little over half the run-time, I did. Ronan does make it worth the journey, even if the last portion is weak.
C+
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This film of delicate emotional nuance recounts an enchanting but sad love story.
She's glorious, as she always is. But even Ronan can't totally cut through the academic stuffiness that comes with this posh literary adaptation.
A decent adaptation of McEwan’s excellent novella. Forget Fifty Shades – this is sex to make your cheeks blush.
Even with author Ian McEwan adapting his own novel for the screen, this somewhat stilted picture struggles to convey the deft emotional complexity of the source material.
The movie is fairly faithful to the book, and yet so much is lost in the transfer.
I'm not sure about my interpretation of this film, especially because of the constant jumps the narrative gives that although it builds things correctly it takes time to find the right channel to be able to feel completely connected with the story.
Without a doubt it can be considered the type of film that is called Oscar Bait but frankly I doubt it will get more attention beyond Saoirse Ronan's performance, especially considering how unnoticed went by since its release.
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If you've read the Ian McEwan novel (I haven't), you might have the patience to sit thru this film. It centers around a newlywed couple on their honeymoon, which goes from awkward to disastrous. There are also flashbacks to the progress of their love affair and other formative moments in their past. Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle do a good job of making the couple interesting, but the first hour of the film moves at a slow pace that challenges patience. Once the final conflict occurs, the emotions are ramped up to provide a somewhat satisfying (if not predictable) finish.
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you will watch it and will forget everything about it except saoirse ronan`s performance. it wants many things and it reachs non of them but you can`t deny a feeling through the film wich you will forget that soon either.
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Ronan, as usual, captures the screen, and there are some powerful moments in the film. However, between the many extremely awkward even cringe inducing scenes and the often confusing flashbacks I can only give this one a fair rating.
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(Mauro Lanari)
Once wasn't it customary to liquidate similar things with a single word, oleographic? Even more concise than on Twitter. The debutant Cooke will have put his own, but it is clear that troubles originate already from the book and the script of McEwan. The film oozes literariness and theatricality not transformed into cinematography, and the underlying theme, the Berlin Wall as well as the class and intersex ones, is tied to a historical period and is not extended to a more timeless context.
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