The Sense of an Ending

“The Sense of an Ending” is based on the prize winning novel written by Julian Barnes. Adapted for the screen by Nick Payne and directed by Ritesh Batra, the film boasts a stellar cast headed by Jim Broadbent, Helen Walter, Michelle Dockery, Emily Mortimer and Charlotte Rampling. Unfortunately, even a star studded cast giving wonderful performances cannot save this film from the difficulty the audience experiences as it tries to follow this complicated story told in flashback and present day events. There are just too many characters attempting to go in and out of the lives of the others to make this film easy to comprehend as it weaves its way in and out of the decades it spans. Even the most difficult and lengthy films can be enjoyable to watch and to understand but this one is neither.

Recognizing the tremendous talent one sees on the screen it is difficult to give the film less than a 2 and ½ star rating although the reader should be warned that 2 or 3 cups of regular coffee might be needed to help his or her concentration process.