Endings, Beginnings

From filmmaker Drake Doremus comes this low-key character study revolving around Shailene Woodley’s Daphne, a struggling art-world fixture who finds herself romantically drawn to two friends (Sebastian Stan’s Frank and Jamie Dornan’s Jack) at the same time. It’s clear immediately that Endings, Beginnings benefits substantially from Woodley’s immersive, lived-in performance, as the actress manages to transform what could’ve been an off-putting character into an often impressively compelling (and sympathetic) figure. And although the caught-between-best-friends scenario is, to say the least, fairly generic, Doremus generally does a effective job of allaying such concerns by delivering an honest, truthful look at modern relationships. The progressively absorbing atmosphere is somewhat derailed by a third act that doesn’t quite know where to end, which ultimately secures Endings, Beginnings‘ place as an erratic yet mostly rewarding little drama.

*** out of ****