Life is messy. Perhaps the worst offense to life’s messes is none other than the relationships we hold. Whether they are friendships, families, marriages, or co-workers – sometimes it’s a true challenge to navigate this big spinning ball we live on. We’re all here for the same purpose – to live, laugh, cry, and someday, die. We’re all different. We all see things in our own way. Sure, there are times where we can agree on a few things. There are other times where we disagree just as strongly. Life is hard and it’s messy.
That’s one of the things that makes America equally both great and, at times, frustrating. It seems like, now, more than ever – we are divisive. Our political views on whose side is really right. Our religious beliefs; our views on LGBTQ issues and rights; our views on abortion; and the list goes on. At the center of all of that are relationships. Whether we keep people as family, enemies, friends, lovers – relationships are at the center of what makes this planet spin. Probably one of the toughest relationships to break free are break-ups. From someone who has gone through his fair share of them and even thought about ending his life over – break-ups can be some of the worst heartaches an individual can suffer though.
If they hurt so much, why do we do it? Recently we had on Aaron White, one of the hosts of the Feelin Film podcast, to discuss his mental health struggles and even suicide contemplations during divorce. White said that out of his entire life, the only times he ever thought about suicide were during his two divorces. Aaron’s story is far from exclusive – there are hundreds of men and women who feel that pain daily. Sometimes for years at a time. Such is the case with the Shailene Woodley led drama, Endings, Beginnings. The film follows Daphne (Woodley) navigating her life back to normalcy after ending a long relationship. Along the journey, she finds herself locked in a love triangle between two friends, Jack (Jamie Dornan) & Frank (Sebastian Stan). As I’ve previously mentioned I’ve been through enough break-ups and heartache in my life to recognize the signs. Woodley masterfully crafts a character journey that captures that spirit to perfection. Woodley has always been a bit hit or miss for me personally. However, that’s not the case with Endings. She manages to lose herself within the role in a bold new direction like nothing we’ve yet seen from the actress.
Daphne’s journey throughout the course of the film is incredibly gripping. Woodley, once again, gives the best performance of her career. Then you have Dornan and Stan, neither of whom shine as brightly as Woodley but both still manage to do alright. There isn’t anything that really stands out about either character. Dornan, who at this point is probably most famous for the 50 Shades trilogy, manages to play the nice guy; while Stan, most notable for his tenure as Bucky in the MCU, gets to play the bad boy. Both of these gents manage to perform roles outside of their norm, which is nice, but again, nothing about those roles really stands out as bright as Woodley’s performance. Visually Endings is notably an arthouse film. The cinematography by Marianne Bakke is another shining star. The visual aesthetic of Endings is eerily beautiful, while hauntingly perfect for the film. Bakke seriously outdid herself here.
Endings, Beginnings is far from perfect. While the film is gorgeous upon viewing, its sound design & editing is not so glamorous. I’m not sure if the editor was going hard for that arthouse feel to match the cinematography or not. Endings has this habit of stopping a scene mid-conversation to focus on a character’s reaction to another character before they are even done talking. Therein lies the biggest sin against the movie – its editing. The editing is incredibly choppy. If you remember the quick cuts of movies in the early 2000’s, that’s how Endings presents itself. It’s so heavy handed throughout the first act of this film that to call it frustrating would be an understatement. By the second act of the movie, it begins to die out, only to start right back up again about halfway through the act. It is jarring, baffling, and every other kind of word you can think of.
I wish the editing was the only issue this film had. When audiences first meet Daphne, she is coming out of a four-year long relationship. An amount of time that takes some getting adjusted to. The filmmakers do a great job at really portraying that transition. There are flashback sequences littered throughout the film that help to flesh out her opening arc, though the flashback narrative points never get resolved. All we get from Woodley is a “I Wish I Knew”. By the time audiences get to that line, the movie is more than half over. There is a plot thread that occurs in the last act in which a main character disappears from the narrative completely. While they are far and few between some of the narrative choices are just as bizarre as the editing choices.
Overall, Endings, Beginnings might just be the best we’ve ever seen from Shailene Woodley. Functioning perfectly as a character study, the movie presents an enticing narrative. However, some of the film’s editing and narrative choices are baffling, to say the least. It’s already bad enough that Woodley is navigating her way back to normalcy following a heartbreak. Why should we add bad editing and unresolved plot points to that turmoil? To say that the editing, sound design, and plot holes are atrocious would be a massive understatement. The film finds its redemption in its cinematography, its core cast, and once again in the outstanding performance from Woodley. Endings, Beginnings has some gifts to offer, even if it can’t function as a normal film.
RORSCHACH RATING:
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written and produced by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey. Music by Yuriy Bespalov & Beggars. This post was edited by Cam Smith. Endings, Beginnings is property of Samuel Goldwyn. We do not own nor claim any rights. Endings, Beginnings is available on digital April 17th, 2020 & on demand May 1st, 2020.
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