Welcome back to the blog readers. Now, I would like to briefly talk to you about drama films. Some of my favorite films are dramas; just take a look at Argo (2012), A Star is Born (2018), and Oppenheimer (2023). Three of my favorite films of all time. But I have not seen too many romantic dramas in my days, especially ones based off books. I did see that film Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), but was not impressed at all (Daisy Edgar-Jones was much more charismatic in Twisters (2024) in my opinion). Would this film change my impression of romantic dramas or would it be just another stinker? Stick around to find out.
It Ends With Us was directed by Justin Baldoni from a screenplay by Christy Hall, based on the novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover. The film stars Baldoni, Blake Lively, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, and Brandon Sklenar. In the film, a woman starting up a new business finds herself in the middle of a love triangle between her former lover and a neurosurgeon, but her current relationship winds up hitting a little too close to home for her and she will find herself making an impossible choice.
As I said in the intro, I am not the biggest fans of romantic dramas adapted from novels, because they usually have no substance and no heart. Just look at the trash Twilight (2008-2012) series. I was hoping for a bit more substance of that Crawdads film, and I am fortunate to be reporting to you guys that while this film is not perfect in any way, this film is definitely better than Crawdads. In fact, I actually enjoyed myself in this film (aside from the power outage that happened during the film and the added 15 minutes). The performances from Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are excellent, the music was eclectic, and the story was one that was told with...well...grace.
To be fair here, I have not seen a whole lot of Blake Lively projects, and I have unfortunately seen Green Lantern (2011), but she is one of the more underrated actors working today. And this film is no different because as the anchor of this film, she gives the performance of her life. I was a huge fan of how she was able to handle multiple emotions and multiple uncomfortable events that would make the strongest of us squirm. She delivers a strong and confident performance that I believe culminates in the best performance of her career thus far (more so than "Uzi time, baby!")
Next, I want to talk about the performance of director Justin Baldoni. To be honest with you, I had heard about the controversial nature of some of the events of the film beforehand, and I knew that Baldoni's character Ryle would be the one doing the controversial things when I first saw this character. His intimidating presence is something that will captivate you from the start, as we learn the ins and outs of his character, and what drives him to be the person he winds up being. Baldoni definitely brings his a-game to this character, and if the sequel gets made I hope he is involved in some way.
The story of the film is one that will not have you jumping out of your seat, but it is one that will have you tugging at the heartstrings a little bit. I think the main theme of this film is breaking the cycle of violence and strife that women face in their relationships. We learn that Blake Lively's character Lily is no stranger to domestic violence as her father abused her mother when she was younger. When she finds herself in this relationship with Ryle, she realizes that the cycle has continued as she must make a choice. I think the film is an effective device to tell women that they are more than the violence they find themselves in, and that it is strong to leave.
The final point I want to make is the music featured in the film. I am not sure who was behind each piece of music being involved in the film, but I can absolutely guarantee you it was Blake Lively who got Taylor Swift to approve of "my tears ricochet" being involved. I got my first exposure to Ethel Cain with her song "Strangers" and her cover of Britney Spears' "Everytime." Lewis Capaldi wrote an original piece called "Love the Hell Out of You" and Post Malone's "White Iverson" is also included. A cover of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love" is featured by Birdy, as is "Cherry" by Lana Del Rey. There are other tracks featured in the film but I don't want to bore you. Each bit of music in the film suits the film in their own way, and their usage in the film is perfectly tied to the situation playing out on screen.
To conclude my thoughts, It Ends with Us may not be a perfect film, but it is carried by stellar performances and a powerful message that will resonate with anyone. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.
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