Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle star as a couple whose honeymoon hits a wall in this daring drama adapted by Ian McEwan from his bestselling novel of the same name and director Dominic Cook. Falling in love at first sight, Florence Ponting and Edward Mayhew are whisked through a whirlwind romance that culminates in wedding vows. While their love is hard won—they come from starkly different backgrounds—they appear to have made it to the other side intact.
But what takes place in On Chesil Beach is not the “forever after” common to this kind of story, but is shaped by one woman’s realization that her present life may not be entirely of her own making or even what she truly wants. Bound by expectation, Florence’s struggle to fit into the framework of a young wife proves especially suffocating as her new husband stands confused as to why what should be a happy event has left them feeling more alone than ever.
Director Biography
Playwright and theatre director Dominic Cook has received numerous accolades for his contributions to the arts, including four Olivier Awards. He served as the Artistic Director and Chief exec at the Royal Court Theatre from 2006 to 2013 and produced an extensive body of work. On Chesil Beach is his feature-film debut as director.
Press
"It's a lyrical and rapturous film - a repressed passion play, funny, delicate and heartbreaking." - Variety