Keira and Sienna Shine

When I first heard that Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller were making a film together I was intrigued. Sure, they're both stunning but could their combined acting skills carry a whole film? I wasn't entirely convinced before I saw the film. Now I've seen it I'll happily admit that I was wrong.

Keira follows up her highly acclaimed role in Atonement with another stand out performance as Dylan Thomas's childhood friend Vera Phillips. But Sienna Miller gives the now seasoned actress a run for her money as Dylan Thomas’s long-suffering wife Caitlin and in fact it is Sienna’s character that steals the show. I have to say I'm damn impressed with both of them. Abandoning her clipped English accent Knightley dons a Welsh accent while Miller works it with an Irish accent.

Lindsay Lohan was originally cast to play Miller's role before she was forced to pull out. Before she did however Lohan got the rumour mill working overtime when she suggested there was a lesbian undertone between her and Keira’s character. Well, sorry to disappoint but there isn't. It seems Miss Lohan was just trying to get column inches speculating about her and Knightley getting it on.

The difficult love/hate relationship between Vera and Caitlin however does form one of the key themes of the film as the two are both best friends and rivals for the affections of Thomas.

The only downside to this film is the character of Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys) who comes across as an annoying, lazy, sleazy drunk. It's rather baffling to see how he has two women in love with him. Love is clearly blind especially as the knight in shining armour: the brave, handsome war hero William Killick (Cillian Murphy) plays second fiddle to the slob.

Despite some flaws this a beautifully made film written by playwright Sharman Macdonald who, incidentally, is also Keira Knightley’s mother. Impressed? You will be.