ON CHESIL BEACH (2017)

Based on Ian McEwan’s novel. In 1962 England, a young couple find their idyllic romance colliding with issues of sexual freedom and societal pressure, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.
—
Disappointing. While I completely understand that the experience this couple has was probably common in 1962, I found the portrayal stilted and unengaging. Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle did a reasonable job of their acting and the narrative had potential. But I was conscious most of the time that they were acting. I like to forget that acting is occurring because I’m transported into the story itself. We remain at a distance as though we have nothing really invested in the events or experience taking place on the screen. ON CHESIL BEACH just didn’t do it for me.