Four Letters of Love at the Rex Berkhamsted

 

Niall Williams has adapted his own book Four Letters of Love for this starry film set on the rugged west coast of Ireland in the 1970's. Starry in that the cast is headed by these now mature thespians Pierce Brosnan, Gabriel Byrne and the wonderful Helena Bonham Carter. They all do a fantastic job, especially the latter. In fact the two young people around whom the story is based pale in comparison despite being fine. Ann Skelly as Isabel Gore and Fionn O'Shea as Nicholas Coughlan are destined to meet but only much later in the film when Isabel has just married.  

So a good story with a screenplay that is absolutely fine. The alternating scenes of the two families works really well. And we have the rugged beauty of the Irish coast. There is drama, there is injury and death, but above all an engaging piece of family relationships. Most of the critics have not been kind, and I also could have done without the revelation right at the very end. But there are not enough of these films around, so good on them.