Enduring Love (2004) Review

Two strangers become connected by a tragic event with one of them believing it happened for a reason and to bring them together with a very special bond, however that is not something that works both ways.

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An intimate look at how a disastrous event can cause utter chaos, after witnessing the death of a man due to a hot air balloon incident this makes Jed believe he has a bond with Joe which turns into him being a full blown stalker. Every time he looks out of the window he is watching his house, when he goes to work he turns up at his lectures, waiting for him outside and fully being infatuated with him. Eventually claiming that he is fully in love, obviously that is not reciprocated. 

Joe’s girlfriend Claire does not believe that the situation is serious and she just sees him as being paranoid about it all. The behaviour gets worse and her life is actually in danger but she didn’t really want to know about that. This even pushes her to want to get away from Joe as she does not see what he has been seeing with Jed, which almost ends up as a vital mistake when she is seen as Jed’s competition. Attempting to go about his work and never feeling comfortable, the restaurant scene was a particular standout as this has many other people and strangers seeing Joe totally lose it.

It gives you a little bit of fear that you would never actually know when someone could become so obsessed with you and end up stalking. I guess it’s not really something that you focus on as you would never ever want to be in that situation. If the film had more of a thriller base it probably would have been on the next level compared to this, more haunting music to set the scene and mood at times would have been a bonus.

I watched this film for the first time many years ago and I could only remember small parts of it. Boasting a rather impressive British cast and combining two of my favourites in Daniel Craig and Bill Nighy. It shows an intensity that Craig has in his acting and moving through the annoyed emotions. Rhys Ifans is impressive as well, as to begin with we think he’s ok just struggling with the accident to fully blown psycho stalker. Ben Whishaw also has a small role so nice to watch it now after the years of Bond and Q! Andrew Lincoln and Helen McCrory making up the cast.