Saved by the cinematography

Raging war and devastating air raids are put on the back burner in this insipid second world war drama about two pairs of chain-smoking lovers.

Directed by John Maybury, The Edge of Love focuses on the messy love life of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas who is torn between his childhood sweetheart Vera Phillips (Keira Knightley) and wife Caitlin MacNamara (Sienna Miller).

The love triangle is further complicated when the melancholic Captain William Killick (Cillian Murphy) arrives. He falls under Vera's spell and they marry before he is sent to the front line.

With the camera trained on their booze-filled escapades and inane bickerings, the characters come across as being oblivious to what's happening around them. Odes to love are uttered against the backdrop of blackouts and heavy artillery.

Underneath its meticulously researched set, the story lacks meaning and substance.

In the circumstances, the predicaments of the two ditzy female leads hardly elicit sympathy from the audience.