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It ends with us, starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is a Film’s diminished by uneven dialogue and pacing issues.
It Ends with us ,Sony pictures
Interestingly enough, Showmax and Netflix chose to load the same movie at the same time.
Giving people options as to which platform they want to watch from.
It Ends with Us, directed by Justin Baldoni and released on 9 August 2024, is a cinematic adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 best-selling novel.
I never read the novel, so I went to watch this movie with fresh eyes and no reservations.
The film stars Blake Lively as Lily Bloom, a florist in Boston, alongside Baldoni as neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid, Brandon Sklenar as Atlas Corrigan, Jenny Slate, and Hasan Minhaj.
The main theme of the movie is generally based on abuse.
So trigger warning anyone who might find the subject upsetting. And a warning, the movie does get upsetting.
The narrative follows Bloom, a woman determined to overcome a traumatic childhood by pursuing her dream of opening a floral shop in Boston.
Her life takes a passionate turn when she meets the charismatic Kincaid, a neurosurgeon with a complex personality.
As their relationship deepens, Bloom confronts unsettling parallels to her parent’s troubled marriage, especially when her first love, Atlas Corrigan, reenters her life, challenging her perceptions of love and loyalty.
Lively delivers a heartfelt performance as Bloom, capturing the character’s resilience and vulnerability.
Her portrayal resonates, especially in scenes depicting the internal conflict between love and self-preservation. Baldoni’s Kincaid is both charming and unsettling, effectively embodying the duality of a man battling his own demons.
Sklenar’s Atlas provides a grounding presence, representing a stark contrast to Kincaid’s volatility.
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Visually, the film benefits from its Boston setting, with cinematographer Sarah Levy capturing the city’s charm and the intimate spaces of Bloom’s floral shop.
Her safe space.
The soundtrack, curated by composer Michael Brook, complements the emotional beats of the story, enhancing the viewing experience.
However, the film is not without its shortcomings.
The screenplay, adapted by Christy Hall, occasionally falters with clunky dialogue that undermines pivotal emotional moments.
At times the viewer is left questioning if a scene or two was cut out, it gets sort of “Hallmarky” alluding to a story but not showing how it connects.
Some narrative transitions feel rushed, potentially leaving audiences unfamiliar with the source material craving deeper character development.
And I was one of them. Critics have noted that while the film aims to be comforting, it sometimes comes across as stale.
The film’s release was overshadowed by significant offscreen controversies.
Let’s just say things got very messy.
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In December 2024, Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni and his production company, alleging sexual harassment and the creation of a hostile work environment during filming.
Lively’s complaint detailed inappropriate comments and boundary violations, including unscripted intimate scenes.
She also accused Baldoni and his team of orchestrating a smear campaign to tarnish her reputation.
In response, Baldoni denied the allegations and countersued for defamation, extortion, and invasion of privacy, claiming that Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, attempted to gain film creative control over the film by threatening false accusations.
He also filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against, The New York Times, alleging bias in their reporting on the matter. With all that knowledge, it affects how you watch the movie. And it makes you wonder why anyone would fight over such a mediocre flick.
The legal disputes have had professional repercussions.
Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency, WME, following Lively’s allegations.
Co-stars and industry peers have publicly taken sides, with some supporting Lively’s stance against workplace harassment, while others have remained neutral, emphasizing the complexity of the situation.
Despite the off-screen drama, It Ends with Us offers a poignant exploration of two different types of love, trauma, and resilience.
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However, the film’s impact is diminished by uneven dialogue and pacing issues. There’s just something missing in the storyline.
The surrounding controversies add a layer of complexity to its reception, prompting discussions about workplace dynamics in Hollywood.
While the film succeeds in bringing Hoover’s novel to the screen, it does so with mixed results, warranting an average rating of two stars. If you enjoy Hallmark movies you might just enjoy this one.
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