''Love and Rage'' is a 1998 British-Irish-German

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Cathal Black Cathal Black is an Irish film director, writer, and producer. Background Black was born in Dublin, Ireland and grew up in Phibsborough. His father worked at the Guinness Brewery. Black's mother died when he was around 9 or 10 years old. His fath ...

and starring

Greta Scacchi Greta Scacchi, OMRI (; born 18 February 1960) is an Italian-Australian actress. She holds dual Italian and Australian citizenship. She is best known for her roles in the films '' White Mischief'' (1987), '' Presumed Innocent'' (1990), '' The Pla ...

Daniel Craig Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968) is an English-American actor who gained international fame playing the secret agent James Bond in the film series, beginning with '' Casino Royale'' (2006) and in four further instalments, up to '' ...

and

Stephen Dillane Stephen John Dillane (; born 27 March 1957) is a British actor. He is best known for his roles as Leonard Woolf in the 2002 film '' The Hours'', Stannis Baratheon in ''Game of Thrones'', and Thomas Jefferson in the 2008 HBO miniseries ''John Ada ...

. It is based on the novel ''The Playboy and the Yellow Lady'' by James Carney. A drama of romantic obsession turned violent, ''Love and Rage'' was based upon the historic book "The playboy and the yellow lady" written by Professor James Carney inspired by a true story and partially filmed in the home where the actual events occurred.

Plot

James Lynchehaun (Daniel Craig) works at the estate of Agnes MacDonnell (Greta Scacchi), a wealthy Englishwoman in late 1800s Ireland. Agnes considers her privacy important, but shows flashes of a high-spirited nature among those she trusts, and enjoys scandalizing the locals by being a divorced woman who smokes, drinks, and rides horses astride on her vast property. When James discovers that a local land agent has been cheating Agnes, he shares the information with her. She's grateful to him and they get to know each other a bit better, leading in time to a romantic relationship. James is younger than she is, and beneath her social status, but Agnes is a woman who thrives on being seen as scandalous, so she enters into the affair with relish and delight. James is a wild man, as well as a bit of a con artist, appearing at the estate in disguise and meeting Agnes dressed as a priest. Agnes doesn't appear to mind this, and at times even actively welcomes it. The fact that they both seem to delight in taunting "proper" society seems to please her that much more. James soon begins displaying a rather unusual bent. As time passes his wild behavior becomes more and more erratic, and eventually it becomes downright scary. What starts as erotic play-acting grows into something more sinister, and in time James's actions become less amusing and more threatening. He's unstable, which she realizes only after he's insinuated himself deeply into her isolated life.

Cast

as Agnes MacDonnell *

as James Lynchehaun *

as Dr. Croly *

Valerie Edmond Valerie Edmond (born 1969) is a Scottish actress. Her first notable role was in ''The Sunshine Boys'' at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, directed by Maureen Lipman, soon after she graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Lipman ...

as Biddy *

Donal Donnelly Donal Donnelly (6 July 1931 – 4 January 2010) was an Irish theatre and film actor. Perhaps best known for his work in the plays of Brian Friel, he had a long and varied career in film, on television and in the theatre. He lived in Ireland, th ...

as Sweeney

Reception

Eddie Cockrell of ''Variety'' magazine called it "another fiercely dark pic" from Cathal Black, and "Though abrupt changes in tone and logic in the late reels rep a challenge for even the most determined udiences the sparks between the two leads and the roughhewn milieu could work for those who like their romances governed more by emotion than logic." Garreth Murphy of Entertainment.ie. wrote: "The involvement of cinematographer Slawomir Idziak, who previously worked with

Krzysztof Kieslowski Krzysztof () is a Polish given name, equivalent to English '' Christopher''. The name became popular in the 15th century. Its diminutive forms include Krzyś, Krzysiek, and Krzysio; augmentative – Krzychu Individuals named Krzysztof may choose ...

on Three Colours: Blue, lends class to the proceedings but the script and direction are somewhat cumbersome and things ultimately become lost in a sea of melodrama."

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0185442
Review: ‘Love & Rage’

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

1998 films German drama films Irish drama films English-language German films English-language Irish films 1998 drama films British drama films 1990s British films 1990s German films