Review: THE SENSE OF AN ENDING at Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas

Reviewed by Libby Drake, Wednesday 1st June 2017

The Sense of an Ending is a film that will resonate with many people. We all like to think back on our lives, often very nostalgically, but the centre of our reflection is normally ourselves. We don't usually reflect on how our actions might have impacted others. The Sense of an Ending is an adaptation of Julian Barnes's Booker Prize-winning novel.

Jim Broadbent plays Tony Webster, a retiree who runs a small, specialist, second-hand camera shop. He is divorced, but on reasonable terms with his ex-wife Margaret (Harriet Walter). His 36-year-old daughter (Michelle Dockery) is pregnant, having decided to have a baby on her own, and Tony provides support. All in all, he seems to have a comfortable life, living in a nice house in a nice area. Then one day the postman delivers a letter which says that he has been left "an item" in the will of a woman he knew when he was at university. The item is not specified, but we know that it is going to have an impact. It's shortly revealed that the item is a diary, "a memento of long ago". The mystery unravels gradually. Events from the past are dragged up, secrets revealed and consequences finally realised.

The story unfolds through a combination of methods. There are flashbacks to Tony's school and university days. The characters from the past are not well developed, but this is because they are a memory and how Tony remembers them. He says himself, "what you end up remembering, isn't always what you actually witnessed." Other bits of the story are revealed when Tony relates information to his ex-wife, information and people that she has never heard of before. The final pieces are put together when Tony conducts his own present-day investigations. The film succeeds in keeping the audience guessing and theorising all the way through.

The Sense of an Ending features three great British actors. Jim Broadbent is always brilliant, and this performance is no exception. Harriet Walter, likewise. It's so nice to see her ageing gracefully without squinTed Eyes and tight shiny cheekbones. A third big name is the wonderful Charlotte Rampling, who plays Veronica, a woman from Tony's past. Performances from all other actors are also very good.

This is only the second feature for the director, Ritesh Batra, his first being the 2013, highly acclaimed, bittersweet film, The Lunchbox. Batra is able to gain great subtlety from his actors. The camera stays close, capturing their passing thoughts and emotions, which gives a sense of intimacy and involvement in the unfolding story. The whole film is beautifully lit and shot.

Made by BBC Films and Origin Pictures, this is one of those warm, gentle movies that the British do so well.

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