MOVIE REVIEW: IT ENDS WITH US

 

Lily Bloom moves to Boston to chase her lifelong dream of opening her own business. A chance meeting with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid soon sparks an intense connection, but as the two fall deeply in love, she begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her parents' relationship. When Lily's first love, Atlas Corrigan, suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with Ryle gets upended, leaving her with an impossible choice.

Director: Justin Baldoni

Cast: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj

Release Date: August 9, 2024

Genre: Drama, Romance

Rated PG-13 for domestic violence, sexual content and some strong language.

Runtime:  2h 10m

Review:

It Ends with Us is a glossy romantic drama that tries to broach the issue of domestic abuse and generational trauma with mixed results.  Justin Baldoni directs the film with a Nancy Meyers style sheen that gives everything a music video/perfume commercial look and feel.  A hefty amount of musical montages only add to the effect, giving everything an artificial sense of detachment from reality that is part in parcel in this genre.  This approach does make it difficult for the film to change gears once it starts to deal with the more grounded issues of domestic abuse that loom larger in the story's back half.  Baldoni never finds a real tonal balance between the storybook romance and harsh reality of abuse leaving the latter underserved as it tiptoes around some of the uglier elements at play.  Blake Lively, for her part, delivers an earnest heartfelt performance in the central role.  Its clear from the start that Lively has a deep affection for the material, she also a producer on the film, and character with a measured performance that tries desperately to give the character some real sense of depth outside of her chic bohemian exterior.  The issue is that the characters are generally thin across the board with each having one or two defining traits but little more.  Justin Baldoni and Brandon Sklenar's character are essentially two halves of one person with neither being able to bring something more to the role outside of smoldering looks. Jenny Slate does provide some much need energy when she pops up as Lily's best friend but the film never takes full advantage of her as the film never bothers to really establish their friendship and instant connection.  Its an issue across the board a series of contrivances brings characters together which kills any sense of authenticity.  The film's lackadaisical pacing paired with some incredibly clunky dialogue that probably reads better on the page than it does on screen keeps It Ends with Us from making the sort of impact it sets out to make. 

C