IT ENDS WITH US

After the recent passing of her father, Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) seeks refuge after the funeral on the rooftop of an apartment complex and happens to meet neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) who wonders onto the roof himself to deal with his stress. The two strike up a sudden rapport before Ryle is called away to a medical emergency. A month later, they run into each other as Lily opens her floral shop and Ryle's sister Allysa (Justin Baldoni) works there, unbeknownst to Ryle that Lily is his sister's new employer. The two aren't right for each other from the start as Ryle doesn't believe in relationships and Lily doesn't get physical with a man unless they're invested in a relationship. Ryle is absolutely smitten with Lily and decides to give this relationship a chance. While this relationship is bearing fruit, a man from Lily's past will question her next steps forward. From the trailer the audience already knows the lay of the land as the story is about abusive relationships and 3/4 of the movie, I was beginning to question myself if the trailers had indeed lied to me but I understood the importance of holding out the rest of the story. A difficult subject matter to tackle but Blake, Justin and company do it respectfully as the abuse is never gratuitous or onscreen for more than the blink of an eye. There's no need to add more visuals to the conversation but rather having the conversation itself. The story unfolds beautifully between Lily, Ryle, and Lily's other man from her past. However, the film for whatever reason did seem to painfully drag on at less than a snail's pace. The film is barely over two hours minus the end credits but I felt at times as if I was watching an extended edition of THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Good performances, nothing sensationalized for cheap shock value, and an important and difficult topic to bring to the screen. 6/10