Morton shines as a woman torn

Morton plays Eva, a young woman in an English village in the late 1950`s. She works in the office at a sawmill, she takes painting lessons, she`s titillated by the flirtatious farm boy Harry - Lee Ross and she`s the mainstay of her motherless family. But thoughts of her cousin Joseph Lees - Rupert Graves, a geologist who lost his leg in a quarrying accident just won` t go away. Despite her longings she agrees to live with Harry but not marry him...This gothic romance is distinguished by outstandingly good performances - Samantha Morton inhabits Eva, she just pulses for us as a woman torn between love and unfair responsibility. But she `s not the only one to shine - young Lauren Richardson brings a wonderful innocent knowingness to Eva`s younger sister Janie. Rupert Graves is solid as Joseph Lees and Lee Ross is wonderful as Harry. I don`t think it`s easy to make this sort of film work in the modern era and it`s to the credit of first time feature director Eric Styles and debut feature screenwriter Catherine Linstrum that they were able to create such ultimate believability of emotion. I was absolutely mesmerised throughout this film.David`s comments:Samantha Morton`s fine performance is the centrepiece of this muted romantic drama - the backdrop is a bit unconvincing, but the feeling for this young woman`s desperate yearning is real enough. Less convincing is the plot development that has her move in with her lover without any great objections from family or friends.