Keira Knightley "loves" exploring "female rage" in her films because she finds it "interesting"

She told the Belfast Telegraph digital edition: "I like a bit of anger. Love it! I mean, rage is always in my work a little bit. I do like exploring female rage, you know? I'm interested in it in myself, in my friends. I'm like, 'It's very much there' and I think it comes out in interesting directions."

The 'Aftermath' actress plays Rachael Morgan in James Kent's new drama, which is set in 1946 postwar Germany, and after being reunited with her husband Lewis (Jason Clarke), Rachel is left shocked to discover she will be living with a German widower (Alexander Skarsgard) and his troubled daughter.

However, the British star insisted that she was drawn to the role because she felt incredibly "empathetic" to her character and could "identify" with the role.

She added: "[The film explores] grief and trying to reconnect to a partner who is suddenly a stranger and I felt like that was something most adults can identify with.

"If you've had failed relationships or whatever, or you've had break-ups, there is that moment when you suddenly look at the person that you should know the best in the world, and they're a stranger, and you're a stranger to them.

"Now, normally that's when we break apart. But in this, they're trying to meet each other again and I thought that was kind of an extraordinary thing as well - how do you do that?

"I felt incredibly empathetic to this character. I think there's various things that she does which are not exactly likeable, but I completely understood where she was coming from."