One of the few films that I was excited for, upon hearing that is was going to be streaming on Netflix.
Writer/Director Charlie Kaufman has returned to cinema, releasing a feature film titled a I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Adapted from the novel by Iain Reid, it tells story of a young woman traveling with her boyfriend to meet his parents at their farmhouse, when she starts to have misgivings about her boyfriend.
I haven’t read the novel by Iain Reid, But I am pretty familiar with the work of Kaufman. He has wrote such great works as Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind. Interestingly enough, I actually watched Synecdoche New York this week, completely forgetting that he had another picture coming quiet soon.
Kaufman is another auteur, who examines the human condition and everything that surrounds it. I’m Thinking of Ending Things is no exception. Although, compared to his other works, this film is left in the abstract when considering it’s themes and ideas. If you are a newcomer to Kaufman, I would still recommend this. However it is not as understandable as one would hope. At least on first viewing of course.
Here Kaufman plays around with aging or at least the idea of aging. One’s body, spirit, and mind slowly but surely deteriorating. You come to a point where you are just a vessel of all your mistakes, of all the things you could’ve done, but never tried. An endless cycle of self reflection, which ultimately becomes the cause of your own demise.
The film also taps into our innermost thoughts, when we find ourselves examining our current life situation, to the point of overanalyzing, which is the reason for evoking a feeling of self-doubt and hysteria.
I believe a majority of it all is in the visual storytelling. Granted, there are big chunks of this film where our characters are simply conversing with one another. But don’t let that fool you. I’ve seen the film 3 times now, and each time I have seen it I have gained a new understanding and perspective. The camerawork, editing, cinematography are executed almost masterfully. It is a very meticulous piece of cinema, that at first I found hard to digest. But through further pondering and rewatches, it has been a very rewarding and invigorating experience.
Cedric Cinema 