REVIEW: Endings, Beginnings Loses Focus Despite All Star Cast

There are certain events in life that can change us forever; positive or negative, these events uproot our lives and change the way we look at relationships and ourselves. Life-changing events take center stage in Samuel Goldwyn Films’ new movie, Endings, Beginnings. Daphne (Shailene Woodley) has just ended her four year relationship, quit her job, and moved into her sister’s pool house. The “why” behind these big changes is never fully explained but she also gave up alcohol and men to keep herself on the straight and narrow.

Daphne finds it difficult to stay away from men when she meets two at her sister’s party: bad boy Frank (Sebastian Stan) and nice guy Jack (Jamie Dornan). Daphne’s attempt to simplify her life backfires and she now must navigate these life-changing events as she falls for both men and tries to figure out who she is in the process.

Woodley, Stan, and Dornan are solid, entertaining actors, it is a shame to see them try and make this movie enjoyable. The story itself has too many missing pieces with no real, clear ending. From Daphne’s reasoning for uprooting her life to her relationships with Jack and Frank, important plot details are never fleshed out. Instead the audience will feel as if they never fully get what is going on. The trio did well with what they had to work with, but it still was not enough.

The film is supposed to focus on the ups and downs of love and finding one’s self and is unable to achieve this. The audience will likely spend more time questioning Daphne’s decisions rather than feeling for the character; the character has little to like about her and, maybe, that was the point. Jack and Frank are simply there to give Daphne tough choices to make leading Stan and Dornan to be completely underutilized.

This isn’t a movie I would rush out to buy on Digital this weekend, wait until the movie appears on streaming or a cable channel to watch. It is not worth the money, which is a shame because Woodley, Stan and Dornan are quite talented. The three names may be enough to pull you in, but they are not enough to make you stay or keep you entertained. I will warn you, if you do intend to watch, there are several intimate scenes, so this is not a film to watch with the family.

Grade: D