I’m Thinking of Ending Things movie review - Breakfast All Day
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ค. 2024
- Christy Lemire (RogerEbert.com, @christylemire) and Alonso Duralde (TheWrap, Linoleum Knife, Who Shot Ya?, @aduralde) review I’m Thinking of Ending Things, written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, and starring Jesse Buckley, Jesse Plemons, Toni Collette, and David Thewlis.
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It seemed pretty straightforward to me. Spoilers. All the characters were reflections and memories of Jake as he contemplates ending things. He lived a life unexplored and interior. All his attempts at art and science never came to fruition. He was too anxious to pursue them. He was neglected by the father, overburdened by the mother. The girlfriend was just a framing device for desires of intellectual pursuits that went nowhere. In the end he was just a janitor cleaning up the messes of what could have been but never were and then he freezes to death.
Great explanation.
Woof.
Interesting...
Spot on, but only straightforward on the second viewing. It is bizarre the first time around. A fantastic movie.
This film is excellent, movie of the year so far for me. I think I mostly understood it, but there's so much incredible attention to detail throughout I cant wait to rewatch and pick up on more.
And I'm glad I wasn't alone in thinking it was tough to review and explain this movie off just one viewing.
Just finished watching this as the notification hit. What a movie. Saw with family they despised it, I loved it. Guess that means it’s a Kaufman movie after all
I was frustrated with it at the beginning, but I can't stop thinking about it. Gotta have a rewatch.
I think the dialogue between the characters in this movie perfectly captures how it feels to be someone who struggles with self-acceptance and overanalyzes everything , even your own thoughts/feelings
This movie feels like Todd Haynes turned the final scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey into a feature film
yea that's the best way to describe it
Why Todd Haynes tho? Dont get me wrong, i love most of his movies but i dont understand the comparison
Miguel Garcia De Castro Santos Idk the aesthetic reminded me a lot of his stuff, especially Carol
Yes,
I got similar feeling.
I mean I am not familiar with Todd Haynes' movies.
But I’m Thinking of Ending Things in general felt bit like A Space Odyssey in a high school janitor's head :)
Please pleaswPLEASE do a long in depth 'spoiler' review of this, but I have genuinely NO IDEA what the hell I just watched and that's absolutely thrilling!!!
fwiw, the back half of the movie goes deep in referring to Oklahoma’s villain, Jud Fry, recasting him protagonist. I’m not saying that tells you everything, but it makes the singing and dancing a bit more clear if one already knows the musical.
The old guy is working at night at that high school, fantasizing his life with a make-believe woman and his memory of himself.
The fantasy takes the form of the young woman. She’s considering “ending things,” as if the fantasy itself is no longer interested in a relationship with the old guy who’s fantasizing.
And once that breaks - once the fantasy is no longer invested - then the old guy decides to really “end things,” and commits suicide in his car outside.
The pretend old version of himself (the young guy in old make-up receiving the award at the end and singing his song) is his fantasy version of how he always dreamed he’d look (as compared to how he actually looks).
But ultimately he’s that old guy wishing he’d done things differently. Never having dated that woman, never having achieved anything he was interested in, and no longer comforted by his fantasies.
I'm in the same boat. It's incredibly well made, but I still don't know what it is about. I would feel more inclined to recommend this to fans of David Lynch than Charlie Kaufman, because it's less like other Kaufman films, which are grounded in big central concepts with surreal touches, and is rather more of a journey into an increasingly enigmatic surrealist dreamworld that rewards patience, individual interpretation, and repeat viewings.
The best I can tell, it's about Jessie Buckley's breakup with Jesse Plemmon's character as played out in the subconscious of Jesse Plemmons's older self, who is ashamed of his unaccomplished life. Although "I'm Thinking Of Ending Things" is repeated often by Buckley, the whole story is literally about Plemmons thinking of letting go of his fractured and embellished memories of Jessie Buckley as his final step before ending his life.
It’s about life and what we take for granted. About looking at our regrets and sorrows before we die. And when he comes to terms with that he can finally die in piece. Just a short way to sum it up.
They never dated. If you listen to when she's asked to describe her boyfriend to the janitor (both him) she said "I can't remember what he looks like. Why would I? Nothing happened. Just one of thousands of such non-interactions in my life. It's like asking me to describe a mosquito that bit me 40 years ago." She was just a girl he saw and then from there injected every other aspect of what he thought a good mate would be. It's why she changes dialects in the car and then she becomes a completely different person.
It's also why the picture she asked about was her and then changed to him and he said "you don't recognize." Then the pictures in the basement that "she painted" are paintings that simply inspired him. Then there's the poem "she wrote" that was in the book in his bedroom.
The only thing about her that was true to her was her appearance. At least we assume so as we've never even seen her outside of what projected.
The book was a pretty straightforward story about regret, and letting regret define you as a person.
was Oklahoma! in the book or did he add that...?
@@JJJJJVVVVVLLLLL not in the book
@@KonradUberstorff ty that is what i guessed. Plemons character is equated with Jud Fry from Oklahoma more and more as the movie progresses. Too bad almost no one under 60 is going to see the allusion being made.
J V ELL Bahahaha
Can we talk about Matt's hat? I am digging the whole Tiki theme. He's got the cup, the shirt, the Gilligan's Island Hat, the Tiki Hut plaque in the background
Mulholland Drive makes sense compared to this one. But I mean that as a compliment. I love Kaufman's work and how he keeps you guessing.
This one makes sense too
funny, i was just thinking this is the poor man's mulholland drive 😆 different strokes for different folks i guess.
I’m thinking of ending things is the newest Netflix film directed by Charlie Kaufman. This was a film I was very excited for, it had so many things going for it. All the talent in front and behind the camera and the story just looked fascinating. Did it deliver though, in short answer kinda but there’s more to be said. First of all let me just say how much I respect and admire Charlie Kaufman as a Screenwriter and even director. His work is always super unique, different and they seem to focus on characters that are well realized. I’m thinking of ending things though, feels like a 2020 Charlie Kaufman film monitored by Netflix where he is under restrictions on creativity and can’t fully express this story the way he would have liked. I know that this film is based on a book so that may explain why this story and the outcome of it all is so unfulfilling but it had so much potential to be something better. Let me just give credit where credit is due though, because there’s a lot of positives to I’m thinking of ending things and there’s no denying that. It’s a well done film overall, the way it was shot, the musical theme the film has throughout its runtime is pleasant and joyous, the acting from everyone is excellent but the standout for me was Toni Collette. She was always an actress of such range, where she is able to go with the characters she plays, her commitment and her performance here just gave me more respect for her. I’m thinking of ending things is a character driven film that prioritizes conversations that characters have with each other. It has a lot of dialogue, and there aren’t many locations that are explored. Most of the settings are in locations that are seen often and we’re supposed to get comfortable spending time in them. Since the film has so much dialogue it’s important for the screenplay to be strong. The screenplay is intriguing at times and I liked the tone of it all but I felt like what the film was trying to convey it didn’t do a good job of conveying. The first two acts of the film are great, I liked the setup, where the story was potentially going and how the film wasn’t afraid of not explaining itself. Let’s talk about that, how the film doesn’t explain itself. From the get go a lot of how this story unfolds is odd, weird, creepy and you have a lot of questions. That’s how we the audience relate to the protagonist because we're experiencing the same things and have the same questions as she does. So there is some sense and search to find out what is going on but I felt like all that went to waste in the clumsy third act. The third act didn’t wrap things up at all, but instead got more confusing, weird and I checked out. I’m thinking of ending things is a film with a lot of depth, hidden meanings and there’s so much more under the surface. I give it praise for not trying to go the straightforward route but with a third act that doesn’t care about giving the answers and explaining itself the outcome of it all made me ask what was the purpose of all that just happened.
Alonso was spot on when he said there are some great Car chase movies and great arthouse films and there also shitty car chase movies and art films.
I detect shade 😎
I remember reading an article about "Synechdoche NY" a little while after it was released, where the writer was explaining all of the references and intentions of the movie. I realized that I had hardly picked up on any of it when I watched it. It was so jam packed full of visual and verbal clues and references, but I hadn't picked up on more than let's say 30% of them. But I did totally enjoy the movie. Kaufman movies can be an amazing challenge, but weirdly, I find them enjoyable, if only for the strange ride they take you on. I'm looking forward to this strange ride, but I've got to be in the right frame of mind!
I don’t always agree with Alonso but he’s spot on about Synecdoche. Film is a masterpiece.
I wrote a complex review abt the movie & book .
In my opinion this video was a waste of time & didn't ask any important questions to ppl that didn't read said book!
What a waste!
IM KITTI haha I get that! I used to be pretty pissed off by the what the flick crew sometimes when their takes made absolutely no sense
@@user-dw6mm7jg2z I'm getting ohhh so tired of wasting my time @ vids of idoits that think, just like social media pages, that just because they have a mouth, they think they have this ARTISTIC perspective viewpoint & take assumption that their conclusion, has to be the right one!! Especially Podcasters! I work for a PC & I don't understand how they make money!!
I will stf there!
IM KITTI yeah totally! I could feel Christy getting annoyed with Alonso’s love for Synecdoche, New York and that was starting to bug me. He’s allowed to have an opinion!
@@user-dw6mm7jg2z everyone is allowed to opinions. I never will put down someone. If some ignorant person inherently insults my comment, I will break them in ½, cuz I usually point out what type of human they are & they usually stfu cuz I am usually spot on.
Its usually a born again Christian who listens to their imaginary friend & doesn't believe in evolution. A middle aged white woman who hates her life & has a Facebook account.
I tell them to join a Facebook group w/ 1000 other woman thinking that will somehow change the world.
whoah.... that hat. Also, this film is like Barton Fink and Lost Highway adopted a kid from The Sopranos "Test Dream" episode.... Patience testing but also, fascinating.
I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS essentially has only 3 locations. 1 of them is the road, and this is where everything falls apart. The characters drive and talk about different topics. It allows viewers to have an idea of what kind of people they are, but not how they're feeling in the moment, making their exchanges dull. And due to them being inside a car, there's a limited amount of camera angles. It's not low enough to make these scenes visually boring, but it's not high enough for the shot compositions to look as good as in the other 2 locations, which are a farm and a school. Due to the ambiguous nature of the plot, the audience can't decode everything that's going on, but the focus on the characters' emotions (including the most awkward dinner I've seen in a long time) absorbs us into wanting to interpret the surreal elements. There's a man who gets nervous the moment someone talks about marriage, yet he doesn't seem to want to break up. There's a woman who feels trapped both literally (inside a house she can't leave, despite being in a hurry) and figuratively (in a relationship she wants to end, especially when she realizes what it would mean for her to stay by her boyfriend's side while he takes care of his old parents), resulting in her losing the grasp of time. There's a janitor who constantly stares at actors rehearsing a play. Is he longing for a happier life and a romanticized world seems like the perfect escape from reality?
*Mild spoilers ahead!*
That would explain why he also watches a cheesy movie directed by Robert Zemeckis. I was confused as to why his name was picked, since he's not known for making independent romantic comedies. Writer/Director Charlie Kaufman said in an interview that the choice was at random and that's why it's supposed to be funny. The problem with that is that we're talking about a parody. He should've either selected a filmmaker who specializes in the genre or one whose projects are the complete opposite. Robert is somewhere in between (he *has* made feel-good dramedies, except with big budgets), so the joke gets muddled. Also, the color palette and maybe other visual elements should've been different. You need to separate the film-within-the-film and the film itself, and giving them a different look is usually the best option.
6/10
love alonso's enthusiasm
Oh, I saw Celine and Julie Go Boating.
When I hear a lot of people say "this(movie/ album/ book/ painting) is not for everyone" they are usually talking about something that is for me..
I have loved every single film that Charlie Kaufman has written and directed so I'll be surprised if I don't end up loving this. Synecdoche, New York is one of my ten favorite films
It's good, but I would recommend reading the book beforehand, and you'll more readily understand what's happening. (the book is very short too)
One of the things I really like about Charlie Kaufman's films is that even when they're at their most bafflingly intricate he still packs an incredible, deeply emotional wallop. The next time I watch this, I'm not gonna try to get caught up in "figuring it out" as much as I found myself doing on the first go around (which is undeniably part of the fun with his films). That said, this film was so incredibly matched to my tastes and experiences it was kind-of eerie. William Morris wallpaper? Check. References to books by David Foster Wallace and Anna Kavan? Check and Check. A John Cassavetes film containing one of my favorite Gena Rowlands performances? Check. Friggin' Buche de Noël? Check. *GET OUT OF MY HEAD, KAUFMAN. IT'S MY **_HEAAAAD!_*
The talking animated pig with the naked janitor was like the talking fox from antichrist. Your either be creeped out or like me bursting into fits of giggles because it was abit silly.
The silent guy (up, right) is me watching this movie.
Austin Burks video explanation of the film is great as well.
Just finished the film before watching your review. Tops my list of 2020 movies at this point. Agree that it made me think of Mulholland Drive (which is in my all time top five so I love when this kind of thing is done right). Would like Matt to see (although have a feeling this isn't his thing) and Alonso and Christy to watch again and hear them revisit it.
This is going to make me give Synecdoche another try, I only watched once and greatly disliked it, but I loved this so much and the films Charlie has written that think may feel differently now.
It's definitely easier to understand if you read the book. But, even though I've read the book, the ending is so different, it's still somewhat confusing: I know what happens in the end, but the movie makes it a bit convoluted. It's still a good movie.
I imagine Charlie wanting to change as much as possible so it would feel like "his" story. In fact, maybe some things can be interpreted differently?
Wow! Best movie of the year! This one broke me!
An easy 10 for me. Best film of 2020 so far!
Matt looks like a Captain of a cannabis cruise 😁
I just watched this and I think I loved it but also I'm pretty sure I haven't understand shit about it. Which in a weird way kind of makes me love it even more.
Guys are you going to review Tenet?
They've said they don't want to watch it, because they don't feel safe.
No way I’m putting myself through watching this movie again.
I liked the dance scene towards the end, though. Oh, and the acting was top notch.
I think you should watch Pete Peppers discussion of this film
This is the Kaufman that broke me. I really really like it, and I really really hate it.
It broke me in all the best ways!
Anomalisa is a movie I absolutely love.
Same. That film has never left me.
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind as well
I want to know what ppl think that read this book??
I wrote this before I watch each video cuz this is one of my favorite books, along w/ Foe, his 2nd novel..
This book is a literary genius by a 1st time author & got many deserved accolades in 2016.
Reviews either hated or loved the book.
I was excited when Kaufman wrote the script.
Until Jake walks into the school, it stays true to the book & u don't even notice there is no score! (music)
I have never finished a movie /series developed by Netflix.
Except for this & it did have so many inherent flaws but I can overcome them to say this is one of the best movies in 5 years.
First part, I was hoping ppl that didn't read said book knew how Kaufman's other movies plays w/ time & reality & the intent of confusing the viewer w/ a journey into a complex bizarre psyche.
Also the way he uses long & wide shots to tell a story.
My fiance asked if the janitor was Jake?
I didn't answer & threw him the book.
This book is a proverbial psychological thriller. Plus when you finish it, you ask..WTF JUST HAPPENED???!!
The movie..
Obviously you notice how the "unamed girlfriend narrator" or wait..her name changes 3/4 times, then she may not even be there or she was there @ some point in time!
Her job changes just as much. Obviously her viewpoints shift, are re-written, then erased.
The beginning stays true to the book by the narrator saying multiple times I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS but what does she mean?
It was seriously ingenious by adding.."David Foster Wallace" & his book Infinite Jest (who committed suicide & is called one of the most influential authors of the last 30 yrs & how his death is the story & not his work)
You go from thinking of suicide to ending the relationship w/ Jake to maybe an ending of how she sees the world?
She says..she grew up in an apartment, then again, she said multiple times she grew up on a farm.
There are the unsettling things such as the basement, barn & picture & ofc the dog!!!
There is not one frame that can tell us what year it is.
The car they drive?
The clothes they wear?
The music they put on?
What is real, a dream or a memory?
Obviously everything til they leave the farm is surreal!
The book, in plain terms was so much darker, weirder, scarier & so much better for telling the story of this human existence.
Netflix didn't do justice to this book.
But...I am still thinking about it a days later.. Then I watched it 2 more times til I figured out the ending & I finally did!
(Jake, the janitor committed suicide in the car & the animated pig took him to his afterlife)
It does try to show that time moves in one direction and memories move in another direction.
It does ask the question..Does anything really end?
Do our opinions really matter?
It doesn't mention anything about mental health or issues the narrator may or may not have ..
He does have multiple personality disorder & the book is basically written from the notebooks they found by his dead body.
They didn't show how Jake became the narrator & his memories of how he met the girl & wished he gave her his number.
The movie does this elaborate dance where as when I come to that part in said book, she hands the janitor a picture Jake's mom gives her as they leave the twisted farm & she realizes the picture is him & bleeds out by stabbing herself in the neck & turns into Jake again. ( the viewer may not understand the protagonist is only Jake & he is the only one in this twisted story)
You end the movie not knowing if Jake is said janitor but if you read the book, you know.
As I mentioned before, the book is more like life...Darker, Weirder & oh so much scarier. Personally I like life better that way!
Edit..I watched this video. WTF was their point of making it??
I work for a PC & even if I didn't or nvr read this book, I did a better job of asking ??'s!
Who would you say is the one person on this channel who is fabulously gorgeous?
Why choose?
Spoiler. This is all in his head. The janitor is imagining his life if he met someone that’s why his parents keep aging because he’s trying to figure out when to place this fantasy he has. But even in his fantasy things don’t go his way. Ps I have not read the book nor do I know how it differs from the movie. Looking forward to reading it!
It does mean killing herself but not herself as in himself
Rosebud is a sled. Bruce Willis was dead the whole time.
So, you really have no plans to improve the audio?
I think I'm just too stupid for this one. It went right over my head. It feels like Kaufman is at the top of the Burj Khalifa and I'm down in the Marianas Trench, ha.
But it's nice to see Alonso so excited about something!
It is based on a novel and I read the book. I haven't watched the movie yet, but the trailer implies that it is very faithful.
When I read the book, I guessed the ending very quickly, maybe ten percent of the way through the story, but I thought that ending was so obvious it couldn't possibly be the ending. I was guessing it because I thought the title had a double meaning and the book kept making references to Hamlet.
I thought the book was well written and suspenceful, but the ending is one of those cheap twist endings that makes everything that came before meaningless. I imagine Charlie Kaufman "classes it up" and added his own spin on it, but I don't think it is too deep for you. A lot of people say that about the book too, but they are wrong. It is just the ending is so dumb a lot of people go, "Oh, it couldn't be that dumb, so I must be missing something."
I'm guessing the movie is more ambiguous and doesn't spell it out based on their reactions, but they basically give away the ending in this review, but I'm not sure if any of them know it is the ending.
Guys....Whats going on with this LAST MAN ON EARTH look? Trimmed
I made it right up until the point they ate dinner with his family and I'd had enough by that point. I looked up the ending online and was glad I made the right decision. Time during a pandemic is much too precious to waste on two hours of boring drivel.
For me, the parents were the highlight of the movie.
You quit at the right time.
Isn't the opposite? As in, due to the pandemic, we all have extra free time?
I loved many things about this film, but I was incredibly disappointed. I'm a big fan of Kauffman, but this was just like another Inland Empire thing for me; where people have to say they love it because..... "hey! its David Lynch!". Same thing here.
The sensory experience was pretty cool though.. I'd give it that.
Charlie Kaufman is so odd that his films become very hit or miss. Sometimes he hits and misses in the same film. In this absurdist tale, there are stretches of fascinating dialogue performed masterfully by the entire cast. However, the overall abstraction becomes so manic and personal that only its creator, Kaufman himself, could make any sense of it. In classic form, he leaves it so vague that some rabid fans will claim genius where there is none. (3.5/10)
It's interesting going into this film after having read the book since I know what's happening. The book and movie are quite different though and Kaufman basically used the book's overall theme and messaging and explored it in his own way. If you know the story of the book, the movie makes sense but im not sure if it can stand on its own.
For real?
First viewing? Does it mean there´s a second? Sorry, but Kaufman is making the same movie for twenty years. It was very interesting back then, but now it´s just a gimmick.
The synopsis of the book reads like a great, tight movie. Shame how Kaufman made it into self-indulgent dreck.
I liked the changes he made. And he added some dry, dark humor too. But he did make the ending so much more convoluted than the book. I've read the book, but it was even difficult to figure out what happened in the end of the movie.
This movie is very simple. It's about an old creepy man who has regrets. He creates an imaginary world with an imaginary girlfriend where he tries to live out a fantasy he regretted not having when he was younger. His imaginary girlfriend realizes she's a part of his imagination and embraces it. At the end of the movie, the old creepy man sings to an audience of all the imaginary characters we meet along the way. The end. It's lame and pretentious.
We watch films very one note and not on a deeper level
Hey hey hey!
I love you guys - but what’s with the mild spoilers (beginning at 3:46) with no warning?
You guys are normally really good about that sorta thing but you’re kinda SPOILING the movie for me!
So I stopped watching your video at that point (i’ll come back after I watch the movie).
Is it really a spoiler? It doesn't happen that late in the movie and it doesn't really affect the plot.
I politely disagree. Rather than plot, Kaufman’s movies deal more with nuances related to quirks, idiosyncrasies, and other surreal touches. In this case, the less you know, the better.
Is it fair to call this film pretentious?
I certainly got that vibe.
Yes, but a lot of people mistakingly think it's a criticism of a movie. It has to do with the filmmaker's attitude, especially when it comes to using unconventional methods to tell the story, but that doesn't automatically mean the movie is bad.
It's about an old man going through an existential crisis and it's played out through imaginary characters in his head until he potentially commits suicide. The end. It's not that deep. Pretentious film critic hacks think this BS is deep.
Hehehe
This movie is some pretentious bull!
Haha go enjoy your Transformers and men in tights playing dress up
Funny how people call things they don't understand "pretentious". At least Kaufman is thinking about something and not simply regurgitating the latest money making trend.
@@El_oh7199 I do understand it. And that's the problem. The movie is not that deep. It's about a man going through an existential crisis and it's played out though imaginary characters in his head until he potentially commits suicide. What's the big deal? It's poorly done and boring as hell.
@@syko567890 The big deal is that the movie is interesting because there's literally no other movie like this one. Plus the message you just said is deep. Loneliness and depression are deep themes.
@@syko567890 Definitely got to side with you in this one. I have been reading a lot of comments/reviews from people who like it and I couldn't help but feel a lot of them (especially comments) take pride in the fact that this will alienate a lot of viewers and they can take pride in appreciating a more obtuse work. Like Kermode, I also think Kauffman is a genius, at the same time, he is a mess. Just because you have a lot of interesting themes and ideas gelled together in a movie that uses details that you can pick up over multiple viewings does not automatically end up making it a masterpiece or something. I too feel the problem is that I do understand a lot of it. But what difference does it make if I picked up these details and someone picked up more details than me?
Execution matters. Clean execution matters. I hope he and his fans eventually realize this. This is just my opinion.