I’m Thinking of Ending Things – It’s hard to really figure out how I want to write about this film. In short, it’s about the human condition and a few characters that are incredibly well developed that we seem to know them like our own friends. Just so layered.
Our two main characters are Jake and a woman who has many names (because this movie gets weird in little off-kilter ways) who are a couple. They are driving to Jake’s parents house. This driving scene is pretty long, but here we already see so much about who these two are. Their dynamic and mostly her perception of things. We see that they are pretty intelligent, thinking or maybe overthinking types. Intellect is important to them. With her it seems to be more natural about who she is. With Jake it’s almost like he tries to play catch up in that respect or has a slight fear of not being as intellectual. They seem to almost have an unspoken competition about who can quote what philosopher or poet or whatever. Or explain something on a psychological level. They’re heady conversations. Nothing wrong with that in and of itself. But that’s what we are dealing with. During this drive we know that the woman is thinking this will probably be the conclusion of their relationship, but here we are arriving at Jake’s parents house.
Now I don’t want to get into all the details trying to describe the relationships and personalities and quirks and little tiny things you notice. If you’ve seen the movie you know how damn detailed these four characters are. It’s insane. I feel like in this short time I know them like I’ve known these people for a year. The parents are excellently acted. Shoot all four do a great job.
So here during this visit the film sort of starts to glitch out. First a little (hey that dog is, weird eh? Almost like an error from the Matrix). Then they start to get really weird. We see the parents appear in different age versions of themselves, but all the characters act as if all is happening right here and now. So this is hard for me to explain, but it makes total sense when watching the movie. Essentially, we have memories, idea, daydreams, assumptions all kind of colliding. Is what we are seeing something that is actually happening? Is it just a visual representation of a feeling? Are we imagining what the mother will be like in the future? Or perhaps that already happened, and we are reliving a memory of Jake. Again, this is much more sensible when being viewed. I’m not even touching on the other little things like the girlfriend seeing “her” poem not actually being her poem and other little things like her going into the basement. This film is just packed to the brim with things that you simply must see to comprehend, to feel, to organize. Yes, because the film is really taping into all kinds of timelines within these characters.
For example, the visit to Tulsy Town after we leave the parent’s house. The scene makes sense, but we have like a cross of 4 different timelines crossing together. And we act like they all fit. We as the viewer pick up all sorts of information about our characters through these interactions. And it’s just so cool how something that seems like a damn headache come off rather elegantly even though it’s more of a kaleidoscope than a puzzle to fit pieces into.
I love the interactions when the couple is in the parking lot in front of the school and they get into a minor quibble about that “Baby It’s Cold Outside” song. I totally get what each side is saying in the moment. And under more regular circumstances it probably would have blown over, but with a bit of frustration the argument gets a little heated. It’s great. The ballet scene. Excellent little summary of what we can assume is a representation of a romantic relationship. Maybe this one between our main two characters. Maybe the woman is just a representation of another girl Jake was in love with.
See it doesn’t necessarily matter if what is going on in front of our eyes is real or not. Or just memory of Jake that he is replaying or fantasizing about or misremembering or daydreaming. All in all it just serves to tap into feelings of our characters. For what it’s worth I think the main woman does exist and always did. Once we get into the high school I feel like that’s a representation of the conclusion of that relationship. Again, the movie playing with various timelines and what is actually real and what is just a visual representation of a scenario that did or didn’t happen.
The old janitor? Yeah I think that’s supposed to be present time Jake. And he had ambitions and dreams and probably was capable of more, but through various experiences stumbled and stumbled until he ended up as a janitor at his old high school. Essentially, the potential that he had he let it slip away and totally receded into a version of himself that he seems to regret but has accepted.
P.S. Toni Collette. Amazing job. Her character is just… well all the characters are so fleshed out.
Amazing film. Favorite so far this year.
P.P.S. Tulsy Town theme and videos are the shit.
P.P.P.S. I think it’s also fascinating that for the longest time it seems like the central character is the girlfriend, but eventually it shifts into Jake’s story. And I think the woman’s story is real too. Eventually we just fall more and more into Jake’s memories and re-livings of things.
P.P.P.P.S. I can probably watch this movie 5 more times and find a little something to make me get that character even more. It’s scary how fleshed out they are.
OK. Done. God damn. This is the hardest movie to write about.
