On Chesil Beach (2018)

This is a rather simple film but a brilliant one nevertheless.
Florence (Saiorse Ronan) and Edward (Billy Howle) are newlyweds but though they frequently declare that they love each other, the chemistry is lacking. Florence keeps pushing off the inevitable while Edward can't wait to rip off her clothes. Both of virgins and both are terrified but Edward wants the sex while Florence does not and after their first failed attempt, Florence is so disgusted, she flees which leads to the title confrontation. Despite it being love at first sight, Florence is so repulsed by sex, she is okay with him getting that elsewhere just as long as they're together. She gave into that so quickly and immediately wrote herself off as a lost cause when it came to that sort of thing and Edward just let her walk away, just gave up on their fledgling marriage. And Florence is a saint, handling Edward's mentally unstable mother (Anne-Marie Duff) with grace and dignity.
That night effects them for the rest of their lives. While Florence finds success, both professionally and personally, Edward opens a record store and while he has friends there is no one special in his life. Even when Florence's ultimate dream comes true, Edward is there to support her just as he promised he would be decades ago. When Florence catches his eye, both start crying silent tears.
Each main actor is utterly brilliant, each little nuance is captured and they both make the characters come alive off the very pages they were written on. There is nary a false note in this film, though pay close attention to the flashback scene in Florence's mind right after she pushes Edward off of her, that is likely a telling scene and its over too soon. Was she assaulted or just terrified at feeling something real for once in her life? And how does she overcome these feelings with Charles (Mark Donald), the cello player in Florence's quintet. But overcome them she does, eventually having three children with him, while Edward remains alone and bitter.
Naturally, when Florence admits she's not that interested in sex, I don't blame Edward for feeling incredibly betrayed, she had no right to do that to him and shame on them for not being more open with each other before marriage. While Edward is pulling off her underpants, she asks him how many women he'd been with before her. That is something that should have already been discussed. And even after everything falls apart, they still don't talk about it anyone else.
Despite the largely depressing nature of the film, it is nevertheless based on a masterful piece of literature even if it is all my fears personified. Grade: A-