The Edge of Love, about the life and loves of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, is a rather simple story beneath which all sorts of turmoil rages.

It goes a little something like this. Vera Phillips (Keira Knightley) is working as a singer when she encounters her childhood sweetheart, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys) in a wartime London pub.

The spark still between them is obvious and instant, and doesn't really recede with the emergence of Thomas' feisty wife Caitlin MacNamara (Sienna Miller). The Thomases have left their quiet life in Wales for some fun and frivolity in WWII-era London, and the trio rapidly become fast friends.

The group's dynamic changes slightly when Vera meets, gets courted by and weds dashing soldier William Killick (Cillian Murphy). But when her husband is deployed to service in Greece, Vera and the Thomases decide it's time to return home to their beloved Wales and set up a not-so-quiet life in the countryside.

William eventually returns to Wales much changed from the trauma of life at war and discovers a much different family setup to the one he left. Will he be able to settle down once more with his wife, or will this cozy setup end in tragedy for all concerned?

Based on real life events, John Maybury's The Edge of Love is a sumptuous film about friendship, war and romance and where the three overlap, with varying consequences. Despite the relative simplicity of the synopsis there's a lot going on in this movie, and while it may be a slow burner in terms of action you will never get bored.

The Edge of Love's ace in the hole is an excellent cast who all act out of their skins. Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller are probably two of my least favourite big screen actresses, but I'll be the first to put up my hand and admit they both do a sterling job.

As Caitlin, Miller trades on her acting chops rather than her film star good looks, and brings a real depth to the role. I can't imagine Lindsay Lohan, who dropped out of the part before Miller accepted it, playing Caitlin. Knightley, whose mother Sharman Macdonald wrote the screenplay, has a bang-on Welsh accent to my ear. Her turn as the conflicted Vera is captivating. She also does her own singing throughout the film and it's really, really good. And the always excellent Cillian Murphy is solid once again as the conflicted Captain Killick.

I love period films for the immaculate wardrobe and sets, and The Edge of Love certainly doesn't let the side down. While not always glamorous, the costuming is still captivating.

All in all, this movie is one about friendship between women, linked together through one common man in their lives, rather than a biopic of Dylan Thomas and his work. That would be another film altogether.