Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong
There are movies which target specific demographics, and they usually work within those demographics. I would like to consider myself part of the demographic that enjoys a good Romance that hits all the right notes, and maybe a little trouble thrown into the mix. It Ends With Us is bit of a cross between J-Lo’s Enough and a Nicholas Sparks movie. It deals with some very sensitive subject matter, in a nearly non- delicate way.
The Movie focuses on Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) who has returned home to Boston to attend her father’s funeral. There is clearly a checkered past here as she leaves the service and ends up on a random rooftop where she meets Ryle (Justin Baldoni – whom also directs). They share ‘naked truths’ and while things heat-up, they are halted due to an emergency. Lily then goes on to fulfill her life-long dream of opening-up her own flower shop. There she meets Allysa (Jenny Slate) whom after an awkward conversation, wants to work with her and things are on an upward trajectory. Lily finds out that Allysa’s brother is Ryle and he woos Lily. Things take a sharp turn while Ryle and Lily are dining with Allysa and Marshall (Hasan Minhaj) as they’re at Root, a restaurant owned by Lily’s former flame Atlas (Brandon Sklenar). When they were teenagers, Atlas and Lily were romantically involved. Tensions boil over making for an intense Third Act leading to a revelation of finding oneself and protection.
It Ends With Us is propelled by the performances of its star, Lively, plus the performances from the Supporting Cast. Baldoni may have been a bit over-ambitious juggling multiple caps, but does reach a gravitated moment in the final moments of the Film. Lively manages to do her best, but it is her younger self, Isabela Ferrer who manages to steal the character’s shine. Sklenar and Slate however, make this worth watching.
It Ends With Us is not the typical boy-meets-girl to chaos and then happy ending as its marketing might suggest. It is more about self-discovery and putting oneself first. The use of flashback sequences is actually done well here, critical to the Film’s world-building. Where the Film falls apart might be the adaptation process. Without having ever read it, I cannot say for certain if the gigantic swings in tonal shifts in the Script were intentional or not, but they do take the audience fully out of the experience at times.
Sony Pictures Canada release IT ENDS WITH US in theatres on Friday, August 9, 2024.
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