On Chesil Beach (2018)

★ 6.1 1h 50m 384 votes IMDb
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In 1962 England, a young couple finds their idyllic romance colliding with issues of sexual freedom and societal pressure, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.

On Chesil Beach

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Cast

Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan as Florence Ponting Age 32 · The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA Saoirse Una Ronan (/ˈsɜːrʃə ˈuːnə ˈroʊnən/ SUR-shə OO-nə ROH-nən; born 12 April 1994) is an American-born Irish actress. Primarily known for her work in period dramas since adolescence, she has receiv...
Billy Howle
Billy Howle as Edward Mayhew Age 36 · Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, UK Billy Howle was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, to a schoolteacher mother and a father who teaches at Kent University, the second of four sons. His older brother, Sam, is a graphic designer. Despite...
Anne-Marie Duff
Anne-Marie Duff as Marjorie Mayhew Age 55 · Southall, London, England, UK Anne-Marie Duff is an English stage and screen actress. She rose to prominence playing Fiona Gallagher on the first two seasons of UK television series Shameless. She then played Queen Elizabeth I in...
Adrian Scarborough
Adrian Scarborough as Lionel Mayhew Age 57 · Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England, UK Adrian Philip Scarborough (born 10 May 1968) is an English actor..
Emily Watson
Emily Watson as Violet Ponting Age 59 · Islington, London, England, UK Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of Twelfth Night...
Samuel West
Samuel West as Geoffrey Ponting Age 59 · Hammersmith, London, England, UK Samuel West was born on June 19, 1966 in Hammersmith, London, England as Samuel Alexander Joseph West. He is known for his work on Howards End (1992), Van Helsing (2004) and Notting Hill (1999)..

Audience Reviews

wizzardss 7/10 Feb 17, 2021
While the 1960s were seen as a period of sexual revolution, it is easy to forget that - like today - not everyone follows the same path.
_On Chesil Beach_ follows two virgins, Florence (Saoirse Ronan) and Edward (Billy Howle), as they try to consummate their marriage on their wedding night. Interspersed with flashbacks of how the couple met and their relationship developed, it becomes clear that Florence and Edward have very different reactions to the experience.

As a deep dive into sexuality, especially asexuality, _On Chesil Beach_ is a fascinating piece of work. It is likely to be much more reflective of the 1960s than media that portrays an era of hippies, drugs and promiscuity. This remains a generation recovering from the effects of war and still very much under the influence of their parents' reservations.

Unfortunately, in some ways, the film is also held back by those same reservations. Florence is shown as both extremely innocent and naïve, but with a hunger and desire to achieve her professional goals, while Edward is more of the free-spirit and happy to appease his wife, but with occasional signs of a wicked temper. The film gets caught up with backstory, trying to hammer those points home, to the detriment of exploring the present day.

It is with great credit that the two leads are able to convey a sense of humanity. Saoirse Ronan, especially, is able to escape the ponderous nature of her character's personality to deliver a performance that is brutally honest and relatable, while Billy Howle is able to add enough empathy to avoid the obvious trap of being portrayed as the villain in what is otherwise a tragic story.

Despite occasionally bordering on tedium as a form of entertainment, _On Chesil Beach_ is essential sexual education viewing.

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