Sitcom Contrivances Fuel This Quirky Tale About Facing Mortality
There is an appealing cast and a number of great ideas inherent in Jonathan Sobol's film "A Beginner's Guide To Endings," so I was really hoping for a deliciously dark comedy. But instead of focusing on the cleverness of the set-up, the screenplay opts for the slapstick choice at every opportunity. Thus, the film often feels like a live action cartoon when it might have been so much more. Purposefully over-the-top and unrelentingly quirky, the film never really develops its characters in a way that might connect you to their wacky antics. With the actors involved, the potential for this film to be really solid is apparent. And the bits that do work make me long for a more cohesive end product, one that was reliant on heart and smarts as opposed to the easiest laughs. Still "A Beginner's Guide to Endings" is amusing enough, if overly contrived, it just doesn't connect on the emotional level that it seems to desire.
The movie begins with Harvey Keitel in full suicide...
Sitcom Contrivances Fuel This Quirky Tale About Facing Mortality
There is an appealing cast and a number of great ideas inherent in Jonathan Sobol's film "A Beginner's Guide To Endings," so I was really hoping for a deliciously dark comedy. But instead of focusing on the cleverness of the set-up, the screenplay opts for the slapstick choice at every opportunity. Thus, the film often feels like a live action cartoon when it might have been so much more. Purposefully over-the-top and unrelentingly quirky, the film never really develops its characters in a way that might connect you to their wacky antics. With the actors involved, the potential for this film to be really solid is apparent. And the bits that do work make me long for a more cohesive end product, one that was reliant on heart and smarts as opposed to the easiest laughs. Still "A Beginner's Guide to Endings" is amusing enough, if overly contrived, it just doesn't connect on the emotional level that it seems to desire.
The movie begins with Harvey Keitel in full suicide mode. As...
Saw this at the film festival
I have been waiting for this to come on DVD for 2 years after I saw it at a film festival. It was worth the wait. Super funny movie, got a copy for all of my friends.
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