‘It Ends With Us’ Review: Blake Lively Stars in Serviceable Adaptation of Colleen Hoover Novel

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As a seasoned reader with a penchant for emotional rollercoasters, I found myself utterly captivated by Blake Lively’s performance in “It Ends With Us”. The film masterfully weaves together the delicate threads of love and abuse, painting a vivid picture of Lily Bloom’s life. The narrative, though not without its flaws, manages to keep the audience on their toes, much like the unpredictable nature of Lily’s relationships.

It’s apt that we encounter Lily Bloom, the appealing yet underdeveloped heroine of the novel “It Ends With Us“, stepping out of a church. Hiding beneath her bright eyes and jovial giggles is a strong determination. Lily had made a journey from Boston to her hometown in Maine for her father’s funeral, an event that was filled with tension. The service turned out to be so tense that it culminated in Lily, who was supposed to deliver the eulogy, deciding to walk away from it altogether. Contractions of her mother’s earlier pleas, Lily couldn’t think of even five positive aspects about her father.

In the beginning, the underlying cause of the tension is not fully understood as we follow a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover‘s well-known novel, helmed by and featuring Justin Baldoni (from ‘Jane the Virgin’). For now, Lily (played by Blake Lively) focuses on settling into her fresh start in Boston. This entails realizing her dream of owning a flower shop and developing feelings for Ryle Kincaid (also played by Baldoni), a handsome neurosurgeon she encounters shortly following a funeral.

Additionally, Lily meets a cheerful lady named Allysa (played by Jenny Slate), who accidentally drops by the flower shop before it opens. In a way that seems too convenient for a story, Allysa is actually related to Ryle. As a result, double dates between Lily, Ryle, Allysa, and her husband Marshall (Hasan Minhaj) start happening frequently.

Due to the dreamlike quality conveyed by DP Barry Peterson’s personal and warm-toned style, some disturbing aspects might go unnoticed within the narrative framework of the book “It Ends With Us“, which presents a hidden depiction of domestic abuse within a romantic setting.

Hoover’s book, which has held the number one spot on The New York Times best-seller list for over two years, faced criticism due to its portrayal of abusive relationships, particularly between characters Lily and her partner Ryle. Some readers felt that the emphasis on this relationship was manipulative. Others argued that the marketing strategies misrepresented the novel as a love triangle romance. Additionally, the proposed release of a coloring book (which was later abandoned) didn’t aid Hoover’s defense in these accusations.

One of the advantages that the novel and Baldoni’s film adaptation share is their effective immersion of the audience into Lily’s point of view, making it easier to navigate through the violent aspects of the plot. The focus on the development of Lily’s affection for Ryle significantly intensifies the emotional challenges faced by the florist, demonstrating how manipulative and abusive relationships can subtly unfold.

While Ryle’s explosive temper and persistent overstepping of Lily’s boundaries hint at issues within their relationship, the movie skillfully creates a sense of unsettling suspicion.

The movie adaptation of “It Ends With Us” encounters more challenges in various parts. Director Christy Hall’s screenplay attempts to address the novel’s stereotypes with some early, self-aware jokes. However, the inherent artificiality embedded within the original narrative proves difficult to overcome.

The specifics aren’t fully explored, as the narrative primarily concentrates on Lily’s battles against abuse and her desire to disrupt generational trends. We uncover these past traumas through flashbacks, revealing that a young girl, skillfully portrayed by Isabela Ferrer, often found herself witnessing her father physically assault her mother.

Only a handful of individuals, including Atlas (portrayed by Alex Neustaedter in his youth and Brandon Skelnar as an adult), are privy to this troubled phase in her life. The strength of their connection is subtly revealed through poignant, scattered glimpses into the past.

The characters in this film are frequently clichéd and unspecific, which persists throughout the nearly two-hour duration of the movie. Despite their prolonged screen time, Lily, Ryle, and later Atlas are oddly underdeveloped, failing to exhibit much depth or complexity. Lively’s charisma manages to keep Lily engaging initially, but the character eventually becomes too monotonous. The potential for delving into Lily’s florist business fades as men become more prominent in her life. Although Lily’s friendship with Allysa holds significance for her, this relationship is also not thoroughly examined.

A discussion that followed between Lily and her mom (Amy Morton) turned out to be quite disappointing, as it failed to explore in depth the intricate network of factors that make it challenging for victims to escape abusive situations.

Revising the sentence for easier comprehension:

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2024-08-07 17:25