It Ends with Us

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://talkingfilms.net/it-ends-with-us-review-balancing-love-trauma-and-abuse/ "It Ends With Us tries to balance heavy drama and conventional romance with some difficulties, but it manages to offer a minimally thought-provoking reflection on generational trauma and relationship abuse. Formulaic and not as deep as the complexity of its themes demands, yet still effective enough due to the strong performances of the cast, Justin Baldoni's sensitive lens, and several valuable messages for the audience. The heart is in the right place, despite the problems that haunt the film." Rating: B-

"Lily" (Blake Lively) is supposed to give an eulogy at her father's funeral, but she can't. Even with her mother (Amy Morton) there and in the full glare of a packed church, she cannot find five good things to say about the man. Quickly we learn - through some flashbacks - just why that is, and just why she's grown up to be a bit of a romantic. Then she encounters neuro-surgeon "Ryle" (Justin Baldoni) and there is instant chemistry. She then opens a long-dreamed of flower shop and a stranger walks in seeking a job. Guess what? She's "Allysa" (Jenny Slate) who just happens to be the sister of her enigmatic stranger. Maybe they can make a go of things? Well a dinner one evening brings her face to face with "Atlas" (Brandon Sklenar) and that takes us back down the path of retrospection as it turns out that in her younger days, she (Isabela Ferrer) has met this vagrant (Alex Neustaedter) and they's had quite an intense relationship until her father (Kevin McKidd) caught them, and - well you can use your imagination. When "Ryle" catches them chatting, he suspects the worst and that proceeds to cause his behaviour to materially change the dynamics as matters take a series of quite unpleasant turns. Now, quite why anyone thought this was a film worth making eluded me. Sure the subject matter is serious, but this plodding drama just takes way too long to get going and then when it might to become more compelling it runs out of steam. The camerawork pays far too much superficial attention to the undercooked character of "Lily" and the writing all too often resorts to power-ballad mode when the story becomes potentially more poignant and resonant. We know that the gist of the plot is to underscore not just the effects of domestic violence in the present, but to try and understand the sources so that path need never be taken again, but it's all presented in too shallow a fashion and could easily lose half an hour without impacting on the thrust - such as it is - of the drama. It's disappointing.