The End We Start From (2023)

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/the-end-we-start-from-bfi-film-festival-review/

"The End We Start From marks debutant Mahalia Belo as a filmmaker to follow closely in the coming years, despite the story not being imaginative or impactful enough to reach a higher level of satisfaction.

With a substantial thematic sense, maternal symbolism is portrayed through Belo's contemplative vision, as well as Susie Lavelle's atmospheric cinematography. However, it's up to Jodie Comer and Katherine Waterston to carry the movie on their shoulders, which, unfortunately, lacks a better exploration of the climate crisis that it uses more as a narrative background trigger.

A more memorable conclusion could have made the difference...""

Rating: C+

With a fairly biblical storm raging outside, an heavily pregnant mother (Jodie Comer) is sitting at home watching the telly. Power goes out, waters break then the struggle to get boyfriend (Joel Fry) and ambulance to hospital is the start of their woes. Leaving, they discover that huge swathes of England are under water so they head to higher ground and his parents. Fortunately, they have had a long ridiculed bit of a siege mentality so there's plenty of food but that's about all as the family units begin to disintegrate, just as society is doing at large elsewhere. The couple become separated and the un-named mother must now find safety for herself and her baby until some form of normality returns. This is another hugely emotional effort from Comer with Fry, a fleetingly potent contribution from Benedict Cumberbatch and a strong role for new-found friend Katherine Waterson working well, too. The story though - well it reminded me a little of "Children of Men" (2006). A rather depressing and dreary chronology - augmented with some flashbacks of happier days - of how individuals deal with disaster, be they self induced or imposed, and I struggled to remain engaged as the narrative lumbered along. The direction and the score are also fairly lacklustre. One too many shots of cars driving along, of mother carrying baby, cheering baby, nursing baby - and talking of the baby, boy does it age! If it's meant to be a very personal, intimate even, indictment of mankind's inhumanity to itself when facing desperation then it just about works, anything else was rather wasted on me, I'm afraid.

Environmental apocalypse survival story? Sign me up! I loved this movie. You don't often see mom's of newborns as the bravest people on the screen. Yet, true to life, don't mess with a mama bear! Whenever I watch something I look for clues if a woman wrote it or not. With this one I was 100% it was written by a woman and pleased to find out it was two! Also, a woman director, first feature, yay! I can tell the difference between how we write ourselves. I loved the chemistry between Comer & Waterston. I had never seen the latter actor before and this performance made we want to do a deep dive into her work. Both of them earned these parts for sure and did not rely on their beauty one bit in these performances. Strong women write strong women! Also there's super cute babies in it. That's the perfect baby age to me, 4-5 months. So cuddly! Highly recommend for everybody.

"The End We Start From", is carried more by quality performances, than a sterling script.

On first inspection this looks like a apocalyptic, survivalist film but that soon gives way to what is, essentially, an interpersonal drama.

Its not a terribly original proposition. It's script is not doing anything new or even overly clever. I will say, its at times, austere tones, can feel, a little emotionally burdensome.

The key reason this film works, in spite of its shortcomings, is the outstanding performance, handed in, by Jodie Comer, as a mother looking to reunite her family.

Comer shines as a desperate, isolated woman, with little more than a thin thread of hope, to sustain her. She's utterly convincing, drawing you in, perhaps a little in spite of any reservations, you might have, about the pedestrian back story.

In summary, a film sustained, in large part, by an outstanding performance from its lead actress. Take a look and see if you agree with me.