The first thing that needs to be said about this adaptation of Terence Rattigan’s play, is that it could not be more faithful to the original. Despite being the second film based on the stage version - the first was released in 1955 - it does not break any new ground. Depending on your point of view, this will define your enjoyment of the film.

Hester (Rachel Weisz) is stuck in a passionless marriage to mummy’s boy William (Simon Russell Beale) and is thoroughly depressed, supposedly as a result. When she meets Freddy (Tom Hiddleston), an RAF pilot full of energy, charisma, and blessed with laddish good looks, she quickly falls in love and begins an obsessive whirlwind affair. A few months in, her husband discovers the infidelity, and Hester moves out, to begin a new life with the man she loves. Over time Hester learns that a passionate, wild relationship can be just as insufferable as a comfortable yet dull marriage; she is dissatisfied by both - as ultimately, life itself, is dissatisfying.

This is not modern storytelling. Not only is it set ‘around 1950’, a depiction of post-war ‘Blighty’ as people deal with their grief - both for the lives lost, and their past selves - the ways in which the story unfolds are far from the conventions of current cinema. It is obvious that the film is adapted from a play: plot devices such as a letter discovered in a dressing gown pocket, a room in which Hester sits smoking endless cigarettes whilst other characters run in and out of, and a scene towards the end with a chorus of extras singing in the London Underground, all scream theatre. This is a return to cinematic melodrama. Despite being incredibly well acted and blessed with a tremendously talented cast (there’s bound to be Oscar buzz for Weisz’s performance), it’s hard to empathise with the characters and the situation, because it all feels rather unreal. Accept the film for what it is, rather than complain about what it is not; if you’re looking for typical Hollywood schmaltz - or even fierce naturalism - you’ll be disappointed. As a tribute for Rattigan’s centenary, however, director Terence Davies has paid a great homage here.