Ian McEwan's novel 'Enduring Love' tells a complex story that touches on the nature of human relationships. But on reading it, I was also struck by how much like a thriller it seemed, with its plot centred on a character who undergoes an experience both frightening and unusual; in fact, so unusual that it isolates him from others and forces him to handle it alone, with an ever-increasing sense of paranoia. So it's not so surprising to see it now adapted as a movie. In fact, the central thriller is downplayed compared to the book and this is not necessarily a bad thing, as that part of the story is relatively one-dimensional (in the way that thrillers often are), whereas it's the hinterland of this tale that is more ambiguous and interesting. And the mood and themes of the novel, with its rationalist narrator, are ably reflected in the movie, with Daniel Craig excellent as a very un-Bondish protagonist.<br /><br />Director Roger Michell shows a generally sure touch, though in places the score is a little intrusive. While the compressed plot is a mixed blessing: the book, I thought, went on too long in the same vein; but equally, made a little more sense than the shortened version here. An element of playfulness present in the text has also failed to transfer to the screen. But it's still an intelligent rendition of a story that could easily have been butchered; and a modest success.