User reviews

Saw this at the London Film Festival. Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle enter the perilous territory of marriage in a slow, sleek coming-of-age story adapted from Ian McEwan's 2007 novel. I found the cinematography to be superb, the play of colours very well done in accordance to the mood. I wish there had been more development near the end, but the film was sufficiently beguiling to give it a 7/10.

"Little lamb, Here I am; Come and lick My white neck; Let me pull Your soft wool; Let me kiss Your soft face; Merrily, merrily we welcome in the year." William Blake, from Songs of Innocence Set in 1962, On Chesil Beach is far from 1963 Beach Party with Frankie Avalon and other pre sexual revolution aquatic shenanigans. Chesil is a tightly-wound story of a young Brit couple, Florence (Saoirse Ronan) and Edward (Billy Howle), just married and beyond awkward on the wedding night: dangerously innocent. It's not a comedy, for most of the film is framed by their uncertain movements as he tries to loosen her up (a major challenge) and she tries to get in the mood. Based on a novel and screenplay by the great Ian McEwan, this dramatic romance crystallizes the damaging innocence of the times and the dire need for experience. While 21st-century easy hookup time is not ideal, the danger of being clueless about the power of sex and its mandates is palpable in this star-crossed story. Florence, an upper-middle class musician with a fledgling quartet, is both the scourge of Edward's hopes to be a successful husband and the hope for their love that tries to transcend sexuality. Mozart laces throughout to elevate Darwinian love making, reminding of the ethereal heights to which art can elevate love. Yes, it's a beautifully melancholic romance whose future is endangered by present repressive times, a legacy those of us know well who were taught about the opposite sex by tyrannical and ignorant clericals, who had never been married and were usually virgins. So much is set on the beach with flashbacks to help us understand the demons that it is easy to see the future through the repression of the present. Much of the movie moves through the awkward attempt at first sex, pristine by contemporary standards. Yet, that discomfort is necessary to understand the uncompromising fate of the couple and the tears that will inevitably come. Regardless of where anyone is now, this powerful love story reminds of how deeply we are indebted to sex and how treating it casually or ignorantly inevitably leads to lives of desperation. Although at times On Chesil beach echoes the delicacy of love in Call Me By Your Name and at others by the talk of Richard Linklater's Before series, this romance evokes the innocence of first love and the ruthlessness of experience. Beautifully photographed by Sean Bobbitt, Chesil still owes most of its greatness to Dominic Cooke's direction, where the harshness of failed expectations is tempered by a love that transcends, but cannot denounce, sex. "Break this heavy chain, That does freeze my bones around! Selfish, vain, Eternal bane, That free love with bondage bound." Blake, Songs of Experience

On Chesil Beach: The film opens with Florence (Saoirse Ronan) and Edward (Billy Howle) strolling along the eponymous beach, they have just been married that day. Returning to their hotel room a pair of piss taking waiters insist on hanging around serving the silver service meal. This adds to the couples nervousness as both seem to be inexperienced sexually which apparently wasn't unusual for university graduates in the UK in 1962.

There then follows a series of flashbacks, not in chronological order, as the attempt to consummate the marriage continues. They first met at a CND meeting in Oxford, Edward wandered in literally by accident but it was love at first sight. Not at all corny, you can literally see Cupid's Arrows crossing the room. Florence offers Edward a booklet on the likely results of a H-Bomb hitting Oxford, Edward says it sounds like a good idea.

Florence has a first in Music from Oxford, Edward's first is in History from UCL This makes Florence's mother Violet (Emily Watson) wonder if his parents are from a tradesman background and her factory owner father Geoffrey (Samuel West) is equally snobby albeit in a more restrained manner. Edward's father Lionel (Adrian Scarborough) is an engineer and his mother Marjorie (Anne-Marie Duff) is an artist but suffers from an acquired brain injury and is prone to acting unpredictably.

There is some good acting especially by Anne-Marie Duff but the thespians are hampered by a screenplay which hasn't been fully translated from novel to film, even though novelist Ian McEwan has written the adaptation. The chopped up nature of the flashbacks in this instance also hamper the development of a coherent narrative. This is still a touching story of love blighted by inexperience with some dark secrets also implied in the background. 7/10.

Having only watched the trailer once and not acknowledging the existence of its source material, I was going into this pretty open minded. Period romantic dramas are not exactly the reason why I wake up in the morning, nevertheless I came out of the screening feeling rather pleasant. It tells the story of a newly married couple who potentially destroy their marriage due to fears of physical intimate relations. Exploring frigidity is rather rare, particularly for a romance because sex sells apparently, and so I found myself compelled to dive into the psychological reasoning for Florence's lack of sexual endeavours. It's a deceptively rich story which has more to say beneath the surface than it does through the clean direction and excellent acting. Cooke's directorial debut offers a tantalising question: can you love someone without having physical interaction? A surprisingly relatable question. Weighing in on the emotional and tangible levels of love, McEwan (who also wrote the novel) crafts a script comprising of subtle warmth. The kind of lukewarm temperature you would feel when dipping your toes into the sea. At first, it may look like a drama shifting between the most awkward sex scene ever and flashbacks establishing the origins of their relationship, but there's more lurking underneath. It's understated. The non-linear narrative, while slightly contrived, does make the story that little bit more exciting. I appreciate the upkeep for authenticity by actually filming on Chesil Beach in Dorset. Ronan and Howle projected natural chemistry and bounced off each other well, even if the execution of some of the dialogue felt too mechanical. The epilogue however was completely unnecessary and negated the nuanced atmosphere that was created beforehand. The forced melodrama, whilst beautiful to watch, just didn't fit with the complexity of their relationship. So whilst there are some stumbles, it's constructed upon layers of pebbles to create a beautifully acted picturesque romance.

Set against Dorset's spectacular shingle bank of Chesil Beach (which is a bitch to walk along!) the story, set primarily in 1962, joins two newly-weds Florence (Saoirse Ronan, "Brooklyn", "Lady Bird") and Edward (Billy Howle, "Dunkirk") about to embark on the sexual adventure of their conjugation at a seaside hotel. The timing of the film is critical: 1962 really marked the watershed between the staid conservatism and goody-two-shoes-ness of the 50's and the sexual liberation of the swinging sixties. Sex before marriage was frowned upon. The problem for Florence and Edward is that sex after marriage is looking pretty unlikely too! For the inexperienced couple have more hang-ups about sex than there are pebbles on the beach.

The lead-up to their union is squirm-inducing to watch: a silent silver-service meal in their room; incompetent fumbling with zippers; shoes that refuse to come off. To prolong the agony for the viewer, we work through flashbacks of their first meeting at Oxford University and their disfunctional family lives: for Florence a bullying father and mother (Samuel West and Emily Watson) and for Edward a loving but stressed father (TV regular, Adrian Scarborough) but mentally impaired mother (Anne-Marie Duff, "Suffragette", "Before I Go To Sleep").

As Ian McEwan is known to do (as per the end of "Atonement" for example), there are a couple of clever "Oh My God" twists in the tale: one merely hinted at in flashback; another involving a record-buying child that is also unresolved but begs a massive question.

The first half of the film is undoubtedly better than the last: while the screenplay is going for the "if only" twist of films like "Sliding Doors" and "La La Land", the film over-stretches with some dodgy make-up where alternative actors would have been a far better choice. The ending still had the power to move me though.

Saoirse Ronan is magnificent: I don't think I've seen the young Irish-American in a film I didn't enjoy. Here she is back with a McEwan adaptation again and bleeds discomfort with every line of her face. Her desperate longing to talk to someone - such as the kindly probing vicar - is constantly counteracted by her shame and embarassment. Howle also holds his own well (no pun intended) but when up against the acting tour de force of Ronan he is always going to appear in second place.

A brave performance comes from Anne-Marie Duff who shines as the mentally wayward mother. The flashback where we see how she came to be that way is wholly predicatable but still manages to shock. And Duff is part of a strong ensemble cast who all do their bit.

Another star of the show for me is the photography by Sean Bobbitt ("12 Years a Slave") which portrays the windswept Dorset beach beautifully but manages to get the frame close and claustrophobic when it needs to be. Wide panoramas with characters barely on the left and right of the frame will play havoc with DVD ratios on TV, but work superbly on the big screen.

Directed by stage-director Dominic Cooke, in his movie-directing debut, this is a brave story to try to move from page to screen and while it is not without faults it is a ball-achingly sad tale that moved me. Recommended if you enjoyed the similarly sad tale of "Atonement".

At times it felt very clunky and over complicated for no reason by the script and it was carried throughout by the once again spectacular Saoirse Ronan but the film just about gets across what it's trying to achieve without achieving the maximum effect it could have. A reasonable watch but nothing amazing.

Two thirds of the movie are about Edward and Florence, a young couple of newlyweds trying to have sex for the first time. This is 1962 and sexual liberation is not quite there yet.

Most of the main sequence of awkward attempts at consummation is played chronologically and interspersed with random flashbacks about Ed and Flo's love story and their families.

Unfortunately, the editing feels clunky and inappropriate to narrate a simple, heartbreaking, failed love story. In fact, I felt as if I was intruding into this couple's life, while simultaneously feeling bored and annoyed at their clumsiness.

The story wraps up with two scenes of how the life of Ed and Flo turned out, which just enhance the whole dreariness of the experience.

PS for those who blame sexual inexperience as main underminer of a marriage, I would like to point out that nowadays even if most people are fully aware about sexuality from an early age, the rate of relationships's failure is sky-high and still growing....

"On Chesil Beach" (R, 1:50) is a drama from first-time feature film director Dominic Cooke (known mainly for helming TV's "The Hallow Crown" and "National Theater Live: A Comedy of Errors"). The screenplay is by British writer Ian McEwan, adapting his own 2007 novella of the same name. The film stars multiple Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle - and was released one week after another literary adaptation, "The Seagull", in which the same two actors played young Russian lovers. This story follows two young Brits as they meet, fall in love and get married, focusing mainly on the wedding night.

Florence Pointing and Edward Mayhew have just been married and have arrived at a hotel at the titular beach for their honeymoon. Through an uncomfortable dinner in their room and awkward fumblings with their clothes, it becomes painfully clear that they are equally inexperienced and nervous regarding sex. As the evening slowly progresses, we see flashbacks of how their romance developed, with hints at what makes the prospect of sleeping together so uncomfortable for them - especially Florence. When things come to a head, the young marrieds have a seaside conservation which reveals much about who they are (and the era in which they live) and has very important consequences for the rest of their lives.

"On Chesil Beach" is one of the most layered and most profound movies you are likely to see in 2018. Woven in with the development of the romance, the developments on the wedding night and the repercussions of all of it are themes of sexual repression, gender roles, class differences, pride, regret, communication, forgiveness and, of course, love and marriage. Some will say that not much happens in this film, but there is still a whole lot happenING. And through it all, the considerable acting chops of the two leads (bolstered by solid performances from multiple Oscar nominee Emily Watson, Anne-Marie Duff, Samuel West, Adrian Scarborough and Bebe Cave) make the characters exceedingly sympathetic and relevant. This is a very well-done film without much action, but with plenty to show all of us. "A-"

Not everyone finds the transition to sexual adulthood easy, particularly as one is supposed to find it natural. It must have been even harder in the 1950s, when sex was something that you weren't supposed to talk about in polite company. And yet, I never quite understood the point of Ian McEwan's novel 'On Chesil Beach'. The fact is, the human race has never had a problem, overall, in reproducing itself, whatever Larkin may have said about sex starting in 1963. And the book, it seemed to me, sets up the past as another country, completely different from the world we know today, instead of showing how (for most people) life went on more or less as it does now, albeit masked by different norms. Dominic Cooke's film, with a screenplay by McEwan himself, is a pretty faithful rendition of the novel, but doesn't manage to escape its nature as a carefully constructed, unfortunate but fundamentally minor story, whose anchoring in a generally frigid past obscures rather than illuminates its more universal aspects. Now, if someone was to film 'The Comfort of Strangers' that is a movie I'd sure like to watch.

I love Saoirse Ronan so much, just like everyone else in the universe should. She's a supremely talented actress and I knew I had to see this film as soon as I could. On Chesil Beach is a film made by a first time director in Dominic Cooke. The film also reunites Billy Howle and Ronan, after starring in The Seagull (which came out a week ago as it is). So Saoirse Ronan month continues and On Chesil Beach was definitely enjoyable. The film is a little different than I expected but is a satisfying experience.

The film is about two young people who get married and are anxious about consummating for the very first time. It turns out having sexual intercourse has really big implications on their present relationship and what their future holds for them as well. The film utilizes flashbacks within present time and then flashes to the future so that we can see the two leads in different times of their life and how their lives coincide at each step.

Saoirse Ronan is typically fantastic in this. She's such a talent in everything she's in and her raw emotion and hesitation in committing to a physical relationship is portrayed with a delicate confidence. The film is sharply written, although it falters a few steps of the way. Its a different type of story focused on a physical experience that usually doesn't matter to this extent in other films. The film's last twenty minutes are really well done and bring the picture together. We've all kind of been there with the first time so its easy to relate and know the nervousness involved by both parties.

The cinematography is fantastic, especially when it comes to life on the extended scene at the beach. Costumes design and set design are also up to par. The film presents itself with grace and poise. The film will make a name out of Billy Howle and Dominic Cooke. Cooke seems like an experienced filmmaker and he can only grow from here. I will obviously continue to follow Saoirse's films like a lost puppy in the hopes that she is finally rewarded with an Academy Award.

7/10

Edward and florence have both just gotten their uni degrees. They fall in love and get married. But they have very different personalities; florence appears so strong and confident, but has her own unspoken past to deal with. Edward is still very young and innocent, and lacks florence's headstrong manner. This story is about how they handle their various issues. Edward seems to be overwhelmed by his own situation at home. Throw in a proud, stubborn streak, and his own inexperience, sexually. Like most young and foolish newlyweds, they don't really communicate properly. Anger and pride keep them both from listening and understanding. The actors do a great job, but it gets quite bleak and dark. Some beautiful scenery of dorset area. And snippets of beautiful classical music, as that is florence's profession. Directed by dominic cooke. Story by ian mcewan.

" On Chesil Beach" stands on the strength of the book by Ian McEwan, who is also the author of the screenplay. The writer has already seen his works win the screen on several occasions. The most famous adaptation is "Atonement (2007)", from his book. And the most recent one, "The Children Act (2017)". The romantic plot of "On Chesil Beach" carries the weight of regret for a wrong decision that defined the rest of the couple's lives. A theme that, by the way, is also present, with another variation, in "Atonement".

The narrative structure represents another strength of the film. The wedding day at the hotel, in 1962, occupies two thirds of its length, but it is interspersed with flashbacks provoked by some point in that meeting that refers to a specific memory. In this way, we get to know who these protagonists are, from different social classes and very peculiar families (especially Edward's). And, also, how their relationship developed into the love that brought them together so early in marriage. But fear of the unknown leads to Florence's own suspicion that she is frigid. Meanwhile, the same fear pushes Edward to admit that it's all the bride's problem, when he, too, doesn't know what to do with a woman in bed. The final two thirds happen years later. The first excerpt in 1975 only shows Edward. He is a salesman at a record store who accidentally meets Florence's daughter, whom he never sees again. The second, in 2007, reveals the last meeting between the two, who regret the true love that they didn't know how to assume for their whole lives. In these two epilogues, the script avoids words to confirm this sense of loss and lamentation. Thus, he is right, because everything is very evident without the need for verbal expression, and, moreover, more sensitizing.

Sixth film adaptation of a work by Ian McEwan, this is a tale about the intricacies of what is intimate and unspeakable, the deep scars of a distorted or traumatic sexual experience and the meanings, so often socially determined, attributed to these and other experiences. . As stated in the first lines of the novel, Florence (Saoirse Ronan) and Edward (Billy Howle), "both virgins on their wedding night", "lived at a time when a conversation about sexual difficulties, which is never easy, was simply impossible". The touchstone of the plot is precisely the conservative and repressive social context of England in the 60s (pre-sexual revolution), the generational antagonism and the rigidity of gender roles, as well as the consequences and relational impact not only of a unspeakable trauma (you'll have to read the book), but from class differences in the mental representations of sexuality - for men, an urgency often only possible through marriage, for women an obligation or ritual for fulfilling the marital norm, and in the in the case of the protagonists, a complete lack of understanding of the mechanisms of love enactment and the dimensions of desire. The combination seems to work at first, but after the marriage it becomes evident that the clash of personalities will cause an inevitable conflict. This conflict is further exacerbated by the fact that Florence is hiding a secret that explains her frigid attitude. The secret itself is never properly explained to us, but it is easy to understand what it is about thanks to the insinuations present in one of the most important moments of the film: the non-consummation of the marriage between the two.

Until that moment, "On Chesil Beach" is a rather apathetic film at all levels, but the context that is given becomes, even so, important to understand the relationship between both and the conclusion of the film. There are, however, many things in this first act perfectly dispensable that, unfortunately, remove pace, elegance and emotion from the overall story. What is certain is that from the great sequence of the film, the aforementioned non-consummation of marriage, the plot awakens to a new, more serious, dramatic and emotional course. The dialogues that follow are masterful and the final outcome is powerful and extremely moving, going even further than the book itself.

To begin with, the film is a beautiful reconstruction of the period, with evident care in the treatment of details (environment, mise-en-scène, wardrobe and photography). But how to transpose the complex and intimate character of the book to the cinema screen, without falling into the facilitation of non-participant narration or the classic devices of a novel? Director Dominic Cooke got around the difficulty by using his experience in theatrical staging to direct his actors, closely following the structure of the work and, following a certain British cinematographic tradition, maintaining its serious, leisurely, almost austere spirit. Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle embody their roles with delicacy and restraint, leaning less on the spoken word and valuing a more cutaneous interpretation of the characters elaborated in the book. The emotional thickness of the two figures is therefore crucial to convey the film's message. Moreover, beyond the lack of context for the situation that serves as its motto, Edward and Florence's biggest problem lies in the first sentence of the novel (quoted above): if only they had a shared lexicon that would allow them to discuss what was happening. As they don't have it, only silence and other subtleties can translate what's in their soul. The mastery of the interpretations still manages to harmonize the temporal jumps, which on the screen (unlike the book) seem somewhat forced - with the central scene interrupted by constant jumps.

The narrative progresses between flashbacks that add little to the two main characters and others that have the potential to do so, but are not developed. These time jumps are not clear. In some, the protagonists seem to be the narrators of that story, in others they seem to be memories that are not shared aloud. The reason why that tension exists ends up being revealed, but never its cause; although there appear to be clues in one of several flashbacks, nothing is concrete. Those scenes that state the obvious, those close-ups, constant and unnecessary, of restless hands or tapping feet that portray an exaggerated nervousness and are the dead weight that prevent a narrative, with a strong potential, from developing. Edward, a boy without possessions and with a very pragmatic view of life, marries Florence, a suburban girl who plays the violin and with a sense of emancipation from the authoritarian figures in her life, whether at the family or political level. This dualistic relationship between these characters, with a personality with so much to offer, ends there, for that possibility. In the last act, passing close to us in time, and suddenly and fatally invaded by a displaced sentimentality as ridiculous and clumsy as the makeup with which they tried to age the characters of Edward and Florence, only managing to make Billy Howle and Saoirse Ronan - above all him - look like fugitives from a B-horror movie. One catastrophe, the one at the center of the story, was enough. But they had to spoil everything, forcing the tears and with one of the clumsiest characterization jobs in recent years in cinema, which ends up disturbing the experience.

The reflection centered on the third act of the book, accelerating the pace of the narrative to bring the characters up to date and reveal their destiny, is the great challenge of the film version. The spirit of the work is somewhat lost when the screenplay (written by McEwan himself) is forced to include situations absent from the text to ensure its key reading. This will be one of the great challenges of cinema - to be a craftsman of images, as literature is of words. From this point of view, "On Chesil Beach" falls short of "Desire and (the last film adaptation of a novel by McEwan), while still being a worthy adaptation of an extraordinary book, sensitive and compassionate, far from the clichés from the melodrama.

"On Chesil Beach" marks Dominic Cooke's acting debut. Without the necessary witticisms, he makes raccording errors and applies abrupt cuts within scenes that break the flow of the narrative. In certain passages, such as the final discussion on the beach, he approximates the scene to a play, letting the actors express themselves in a tone that is more coherent on stage than on screen. Remnants, perhaps, of his previous work as director of a broadcast of a theatrical presentation. But, in some other moments, he manages to build well-elaborated framings. For example, the last scene, which resumes the separation on the beach, keeping Edward in the foreground on the right, while Florence walks towards the left, further and further away from him. The camera moves laterally, to keep the girl in the frame longer, as if she wanted to avoid moving away. The story of "On Chesil Beach" looks authentic. Delicately deals with the inexperience of young people who love each other, but are not lovers, and even surprises with the far from ideal outcome for them.

This movie was a particular disappointment as Saoirse put in another wonderful performance and the co-star Billy Howle was also good. It is a coming-of-age movie with the awkwardness of the two parties being central. But unfortunately the scenes of their awkwardness go on forever and the quite nice music in the background, rather than making it more important, just seems to be pushing it. This movie needed a lot more substance or a lot sharper editing ... or maybe a different director. Maybe the moral is that the author (here Ian McEwan, whose work I like a lot) shouldn't be allowed to write the screenplay. Not an unpleasant way to spend a couple of hours, but I really hope that Saoirse takes on meatier roles.

This was the most moving, powerful, beautifully made film I have seen in years. The two lead actors do such a terrific job, convey all the emotional passion and intensity that is needed, but also the tenderness and sweetness of their romance. The viewer is immediately pulled into their story, and the way is presented, with bits of the present flashing back to bits of the past, it keeps your attention throughout.

The scenery, along the Dorset coast, is used to powerful effect, with many gorgeous shots that satisfy the eye and reinforce the emotions of the moment (particularly loneliness and melancholy).

But the most satisfied will be your ears, because the soundtrack is easily the one great star of this film. It has a sort of bipolar aspect, with bits of 1960s pop to give context, but the emotional punch is in the chamber music with which the film is saturated (the girl is a violinist in a quartet). In the same way that "Moonstruck" left you panting to go see an opera, this film leaves you in the same state of mind for some of the great string quartets and quintets in the repertory. I loved very single bar, and it was all used to perfect effect in reinforcing the emotions of the actors. I was particularly gratified to hear the closing bars of the last movement of Beethoven's monumental op. 59 #3 quartet, which I have always felt to be perhaps the most intense finale of all classical music.

Beautifully shot, beautifully acted, and beautifully presented; sweet and tender, yet ultimately melancholy and tragic; this is a terrific film that lingers in your mind (and ears).

December 7, 2017. Gala Screening, 14th Dubai International Film Festival.

It was a great pleasure meeting the director in person and talk about his movie after the Gala Screening.

Set in the 60's, two young people are married, and having their honeymoon. They are both virgin. They know each other, and it was completely a planned and arranged marriage. yet, they are so nervous. Their stories are told in flash back that comes often, as their nervous honeymoon progress.

The frames were exceptionally good, especially in the outdoor. Hats-off to the cinematographer. The Chesil beach had a real classic touch.

#KiduMovie

"On Chesil Beach" (2017 release from the UK; 120 min.) brings the story of Florence and Edward/. As the movie opens, we are informed it is "1962", and we see Florence and Edward walking near the seaside somewhere in England. They retreat to their hotel and we understand this is their wedding night. The couple have ordered room service for their dinner, and after the waiters have finally left, they awkwardly commence their dinner. We then go back in time to when Florence mentions to her parents for the first time that she's met someone... At this point we're 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple f comments: this is the big screen adaptation of the Ian McEwan best-selling book of the same name. In fact McEwan wrote the script for the film. I have not read the book, and hence cannot comment to what extent, if any, the movie differs from the book plot-wise. The film cut back and forth between the wedding night where the couple is trying to make love for the first time (yes, different times!), and earlier scenes, such as when they meet for the first time at a student initiative at Oxford University. For whatever reason, the movie fails (spectacularly, at that) to explain how these two people fell in love. I kept hoping that at some point a spark would ignite but it never happens. Saoirse Ronan, still only 23 yrs. old, does the best she canunder the circumstances, but even she cannot save this movie. Billy Howle as Edward is okay. I can only hope that "The Seagull", in which Ronan and Howle also co-star (and whose trailer played before "On Chesil Beach" in the theater) is miles better than this. Ultimately the blame for this must be cast at the feet of British director Dominic Cooke, a veteran of the English theater and here directing his debut feature film.

"On Chesil Beach" premiered at last Fall's Toronto International Film Festival, and I was looking forward to seeing this. The movie opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Saturday matinee screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (about 10 people). I had high expectations for "On Chesil Beach", and, sadly, in the end I was immensely disappointed with the film. Nevertheless, if you are in the mood for a romantic movie and the mood strikes your fight, I'd encourage you to check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.