Written by: Kevin Berge
That wallpaper should not be so frightening, yet there's something truly unsettling about pretty flowers. Just me? Maybe it's just me. (Image Courtesy of: wallpapersden.com)
Quick Take: I'm Thinking of Ending Things may be too high concept for many, far more abstract than Charlie Kaufman's already odd filmography. It is bold and symbolic in its presentation with fantastic cinematography and atmosphere.
***This review will not contain spoilers beyond the basic set-up of I'm Thinking of Ending Things. If you have not seen the movie yet, you can read ahead without fear unless you want to go in completely blind.***
No one writes screenplays like Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). His name carries this fascinating weight of a creator with a unique vision that does not like to give easy or convenient answers. Even with that legacy already set, I'm Thinking of Ending Things made his strangest work.
Adapting the Iain Reid novel of the same name, Kaufman has a very different vision of the story in film form than as a novel. He transforms this story of a fresh couple meeting the man's parents for the first time and morphs it into a psychological thriller on identity and fantasy.
Lucy (Jessie Buckley) is our main focal point in this film, saying frequently in her own mind that she is "thinking of ending things" without clarity. The obvious answer would be her relationship with her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons), though their relationship seems to be healthy enough just often a bit awkward.
The truth of this movie is that it never cares to give clear answers. It is not interested in answers. It is interesting in statements. The movie lets its strangeness grow with time until it is unclear exactly what is going on.
A close inspection of the movie upon reflection reveals some truth. I had a sense after the movie that I had some idea what it was actually over its main set-up. However, nothing is ever confirmed. This is a movie built for varied interpretations.
Kaufman has always been a master of the symbolic psychological. He revels in watching characters struggle with their own sense of self and never quite question the absurdity around them. This movie in particular explores the odd ways we try to imagine the reality of a fantasy.
If that sounds odd on the surface, it is only weirder under the hood. Casual viewers will not find this movie on Netflix and be happy for the complete ride. There is no warning label at the outset.
No one writes screenplays like Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). His name carries this fascinating weight of a creator with a unique vision that does not like to give easy or convenient answers. Even with that legacy already set, I'm Thinking of Ending Things made his strangest work.
Adapting the Iain Reid novel of the same name, Kaufman has a very different vision of the story in film form than as a novel. He transforms this story of a fresh couple meeting the man's parents for the first time and morphs it into a psychological thriller on identity and fantasy.
Lucy (Jessie Buckley) is our main focal point in this film, saying frequently in her own mind that she is "thinking of ending things" without clarity. The obvious answer would be her relationship with her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons), though their relationship seems to be healthy enough just often a bit awkward.
The truth of this movie is that it never cares to give clear answers. It is not interested in answers. It is interesting in statements. The movie lets its strangeness grow with time until it is unclear exactly what is going on.
A close inspection of the movie upon reflection reveals some truth. I had a sense after the movie that I had some idea what it was actually over its main set-up. However, nothing is ever confirmed. This is a movie built for varied interpretations.
Kaufman has always been a master of the symbolic psychological. He revels in watching characters struggle with their own sense of self and never quite question the absurdity around them. This movie in particular explores the odd ways we try to imagine the reality of a fantasy.
If that sounds odd on the surface, it is only weirder under the hood. Casual viewers will not find this movie on Netflix and be happy for the complete ride. There is no warning label at the outset.
Did they choose 2 actors with nearly the same first name intentionally? They clearly did not choose them for their chemistry. (Image Courtesy of: nbcnews.com)
Of course, even a warning would not be much good. You either have to be ready for the journey or accept that it is not for you. Even now, I find myself uncertain. I enjoy movies that use film in unique ways, tell unconventional stories in unconventional ways.
However, I'm Thinking of Ending Things is so obtuse. It is almost nothing at all. Its genre is hard to define. It has an air of creepiness and a swell of the dramatic, but none are fully developed. The movie is pieces of moods and genres rather than a full picture.
It is certainly a gorgeously made film. Kaufman's hand as well as the eye of cinematographer Lukasz Zal (Cold War) craft a carefully orchestrated group of scenes. The two are clearly working together to craft something that feels alien.
The camera moves when it should not, breaking conventional film-making process. It also captures scenes in ways that don't make sense on the surface. There is a sense of examining the background and people over the words, even though Kaufman's adapted screenplay is so rich with language.
The acting by Jessie Buckley (Wild Rose) and Jesse Plemons (The Irishman) captures that sense of unease. They make Kaufman's dialogue sound natural to a point, but they can lose that sense of being grounded when they go on long tangents, especially Buckley, who seems a perfect fit for Kaufman.
All of this is to say the pieces are all there. The film is well made, almost entrancingly so. However, this was by far my least favorite of Kaufman's work to date. That's still a high bar, but it lacks the human elements that bring his best stories home.
In a way, that seems to be intentional, but this is not a movie made for everyone. It is Kaufman at his most obtuse, adapting a powerful novel with his own viewpoint. I'm Thinking of Ending Things wants you to never stop thinking about it, but it's up to you if that's an experience you wish to undertake.
However, I'm Thinking of Ending Things is so obtuse. It is almost nothing at all. Its genre is hard to define. It has an air of creepiness and a swell of the dramatic, but none are fully developed. The movie is pieces of moods and genres rather than a full picture.
It is certainly a gorgeously made film. Kaufman's hand as well as the eye of cinematographer Lukasz Zal (Cold War) craft a carefully orchestrated group of scenes. The two are clearly working together to craft something that feels alien.
The camera moves when it should not, breaking conventional film-making process. It also captures scenes in ways that don't make sense on the surface. There is a sense of examining the background and people over the words, even though Kaufman's adapted screenplay is so rich with language.
The acting by Jessie Buckley (Wild Rose) and Jesse Plemons (The Irishman) captures that sense of unease. They make Kaufman's dialogue sound natural to a point, but they can lose that sense of being grounded when they go on long tangents, especially Buckley, who seems a perfect fit for Kaufman.
All of this is to say the pieces are all there. The film is well made, almost entrancingly so. However, this was by far my least favorite of Kaufman's work to date. That's still a high bar, but it lacks the human elements that bring his best stories home.
In a way, that seems to be intentional, but this is not a movie made for everyone. It is Kaufman at his most obtuse, adapting a powerful novel with his own viewpoint. I'm Thinking of Ending Things wants you to never stop thinking about it, but it's up to you if that's an experience you wish to undertake.
