Lead performer Blake Lively, and director/leading man Justin Baldoni in It Ends With Us. Photo / Supplied
Lead performer Blake Lively, and director/leading man Justin Baldoni in It Ends With Us. Photo / Supplied
Despite its plot-spoilery trailer and potential for melodrama, It Ends with Us is a surprisingly good movie adaptation of the bestselling Colleen Hoover novel about a young woman in an abusive relationship.
Featuring a beguiling lead performance from the luminous Blake Lively (Gossip Girl, The Age of Adaline), the storytakes the well-trod trajectory from traumatic childhood to adult female empowerment, but at least it succeeds in telling its cautionary tale in a (mostly) cliché-subverting way.
Lily Bloom (yes, her real name) has left small-town Maine for Boston to fulfil a dream of opening a flower shop. She meets Ryle, a dashing neurosurgeon played by the film’s director, Justin Baldoni, and after months of his pressuring her into a romantic relationship, Lily is won over.
We can tell from the get-go that Ryle won’t be as good as he appears, but Hoover – and screenwriter Christy Hall – cleverly fudge the truth behind Lily’s bruises in a manner that echoes the sad reality of those who find themselves in such situations.
By maintaining an ambiguity about the love affair, it is easier to understand why a protagonist so seemingly self-assured doesn’t just up and leave.
This is a smart move plot-wise, but the film’s real strength is its performances. Lively, an inordinately great beauty, is also a natural actress who exudes effortless chemistry. Lily gazes into Ryle’s eyes with the adoring look Lively normally reserves for red-carpet canoodling with real-life husband Ryan Reynolds.
One could roll one’s eyes at the vanity of director Baldoni casting himself as the hunky lead male, were it not for the fact he, too, is a terrific actor. His intensity on screen doubles as a narrative red flag while lending credibility to Lily and Ryle’s co-dependent connection. In the usually thankless role of third wheel, Midway’s Brandon Sklenar makes a compelling Atlas, Lily’s youthful paramour.
The young women in front of me at the cinema were big fans of the book with managed expectations of this film (“the movie’s never as good as the book, right?”). While It Ends with Us can’t avoid the odd saccharine moment, a few narrative contrivances and a denouement that feels a little too uncomplicated for real life, this is one adaptation that upholds the emotional power of its source, and displays the talent of its stars.
