It Ends With Us Review

[Westside Steve]

It Ends With Us

Sony

PG-13. 131 min

The chick flick is absolutely one of the biggest categories of movie ever, but there are many different styles underneath that umbrella. From Steel Magnolias to Sleeping with the Enemy to anything with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant and everything on the Hallmark Channel. Most of them share at least a handful of plot devices and stock characters. There are almost always two male love interests for our heroin to choose between. Though both will be good looking one will be more sensitive kind and loving and the other one will be an asshole. Hint she's probably going to end up with a nice guy . Often times the heroin will be a single mother struggling to get by on a meager salary or trying desperately to get her own business off the ground. She will also be attractive but in a way that other women find attractive. Oh yes, and she will have issues with one or both of her parents. Blake Lively is Lily Bloom a repressed young woman whose mother likes to make sure she stays that way. After being called upon to eulogize her father at his funeral Lily finds that she can't think of five good things to say about him and she bolts. Wandering about the city she winds up in the penthouse of a handsome young physician Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni), has a couple glasses of wine and allows him to become her second sexual encounter. The first? She describes him as homeless but not in the way you would think. He's hard-working but poor, sensitive and about to report for duty to the United States Marine Corps. She gives him food, clothing and a place to stay while he's waiting to be assigned. Frankly he looked a little bit too wimpy to be a Marine but I guess this is what young girls think Marines might actually be like. After telling the story to Dr Kincaid who she's about to hit the sack with the story flashes back and forth between her relationship with Atlas, yes Atlas, and the doctor. One might see the doctor as the perfect catch studly rich brilliant but wait; he does have a mean streak, just like Lily's old man! Are we starting to see a pattern? At any rate Dr Kincaid really seems to adore her, or is at least very infatuated with her and makes it his goal to win her reluctant hand in marriage. Now during the time she's struggling with getting her own business, a combination antique, flower and tea shop off the ground and dealing with her husband's control issues the sweet and gentle Marine has arrived home and opened up a gourmet restaurant. How's that for chick flick? Lily and the family randomly select his restaurant, and the two men automatically dislike each other. Is it all women or just in the movies that love to pit one guy against the other? From here there's a slight divergence from what we might expect from a film of this type. There are three incidents of control/violence each of which could possibly be viewed as an accident. Possibly. There are a few times that Atlas really wants to kick the shit out of Ryle but thanks to the urging of Lily he holds off. He will receive his just desserts at her hands not his. I won't tell you how it comes out but I guess it's okay, especially if you're looking at it from a woman's point of view. Which is exactly how it should be. By the way, one little hint: us does not refer to a male and female.

(By the way in an odd piece of casting the young Atlas and somewhat older Atlas are played by two different actors, Alex Neusteadter and Brandon Sklenar. I don't see the need because Hollywood makeup can certainly age a guy a few years, and they don't really look alike.)

B-

WSS