Movies News Talk
This film, "It Ends With Us" directed by Justin Baldoni, is adapted from Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel of the same name. It tells the story of Lily Bloom, played by Blake Lively, who falls head over heels for the charming neurosurgeon Ryle. Played by Justin Baldoni himself. The film touches on weighty themes like domestic violence and cycles of abuse, and features compelling chemistry between the two leads.
Although Baldoni tackles a touchy subject and provides a realistic feel through some subtle moments, you're gonna feel like the story is just kind of stuck on romance. While the acting is strong and Baldoni creates compelling moments that bring out our own emotional responses, the overall message feels somewhat vague. Sadly, the dramatic intensity is slightly obscured by some heavy-handed romantic tropes that take us away from those intense themes.
We're first introduced to Lily right after the loss of her dad, which adds another layer of emotional drama. The entire story seems like it's leading us towards a heart-wrenching moment. Justin Baldoni creates a sense of tension right from the beginning; he has a masterful ability to get you emotionally engaged! We see the chemistry between Lively and Baldoni come to life and watch the plot unfold as a classic "falling in love too fast" moment. Baldoni and Lively are truly able to show us that Lily is just a regular woman navigating life, work, and heartbreak – it makes us root for her! It feels all too perfect, almost surreal.
If you've seen the trailer, you already know there’s a serious con happening as the story comes to an end. Baldoni does a great job of getting us to spot those red flags, but without making things too obvious like some other domestic abuse storylines. It’s a subtle reminder that abusive relationships are often overlooked. The script doesn’t shy away from those powerful moments that come with the tragic reality of abuse. Baldoni manages to create an unsettlingly real portrayal of that feeling of knowing you're in the wrong situation without a clear path out. You can literally feel that intense wave of confusion and emotional conflict within Lily’s struggle.
So, we have a movie about childhood trauma, domestic violence, and those vicious cycles we don't always want to break? You might be thinking, "That's gotta be a great movie"! But sadly, the plot is missing a crucial ingredient to really make those hard-hitting themes shine. There are too many long, lingering romantic moments that seem to take priority over a deeper exploration of the difficult content. It’s as if those critical moments are simply an afterthought. Maybe it's the novel’s story that's missing that impact. Maybe it's the execution of the movie. Who knows! But when the story is about breaking a vicious cycle, the film feels like it needs to go much deeper.
What would've made "It Ends With Us" so much more powerful would be an even more uncompromising look at the characters and those relationships, especially between Lily and Ryle. Some viewers are arguing that the movie didn’t go far enough in challenging that cycle of abuse.
We know the romantic movie genres can be a bit formulaic sometimes, so when we have a film tackling hard-hitting themes, you would expect it to break those tropes and challenge those stereotypes that are just a bit overdone! It's heartwarming that the film tries to address a tough topic, but in the end, the impact isn't really there.
You might wonder, "Is this movie just trying to make people cry?" I’m sure the actors put their hearts into it, but if we're talking about serious subjects like domestic violence, we're expecting to be more than just emotionally moved; we want a movie that's more thought-provoking and truly changes our understanding of the issue.
"It Ends With Us" will make you think about those heart-wrenching choices people have to make in abusive relationships and that journey of healing and recovery.
Even with the film's issues in the execution of a strong narrative about the real life implications of domestic violence and emotional trauma, you'll walk away feeling the emotional depth that both Lively and Baldoni delivered on screen! And even if we want to see more about the impact of the storyline, the film is a good first step for those who have never experienced abuse or for those who have never thought about the issue.