The Endless River

The lives of a trio of damaged characters from a small town intersect in the pouring rain, the enthralling pulse of a night club, ocean swells, resplendent beaches and ancient yellow-wood forests. Love blooms even as a woman cries alone and beneath the street lights in the middle of the night, terrible crimes are committed and coffins are lowered into the ground. Such scenes of pain and joy flicker like flames in the hearts of each character as they struggle to find answers to crucial questions like; who and why?! Some questions do not have answers and reveal truths that cut to the bone. This film is deftly crafted and finely done. It is firing on all cylinders. All in the filmmaker's bag of tricks – cinematography of beautiful and exotic landscapes as well as people, distant and diverse voices that need to be heard, creative camera angles that add to the mystery and suspense of the story and do not detract from it, fantastic pacing wherein scenes seamlessly blend into each other, music that makes you want to track down the singers and melt into their caravan, balanced, truthful and real portrayals of characters and themes, no pulled punches, acting that makes it seem you stumbled into the lives of these characters as you wandered around South Africa, intriguing themes and characters, organization and directing that keep your eyes glued to the screen and oblivious to all distractions be they what they may, a well-told story from beginning to end, and other support – is accomplished like fine art and without any of its pretensions. The only thing wanting here is sophistication and fame that may do as much to cheapen the film as help it. Seen at the 2016 Miami International Film Festival.

The tragedy of this story was what held me. How awful yet real are the display of violence, the inner anguish, and the conflict.

The story keeps the viewer engaged wanting to see where the journey of these two leads, and it ends in a manner that one will not see, but is an ending that is in retrospect inevitable.

An interesting psychological portrayal of how individuals, battered by life, react under adversity and to one another. The actors did a good job in portraying this in particular the character Tiny, who exhibited the appropriate level of vulnerability and emotional readiness in a difficult role. The male protagonist, policeman, mother, and husband too did a good job in showing subtly what lay beneath.

An objective depiction of occurrences that occur in South Africa, and worth a watch.

This idea of this script was quite clever, and the moments of introspection by the protagonists intelligent, even if somewhat overplayed. The plot worked, though I feel it didn't quite build to a satisfying climax.

Some of the transitions were intelligent, and the visuals not bad, these would have worked better if all the transitions between scenes were smoother.

The Police Station Commander executed his role well, as did Percy the gangster and the mother. The female and male leads worked well also, though I feel the chemistry between them fell a trifle short. Again, I think this would have worked better if the script had built better, and developed to a climax. All in all, a good low budget film, and worth a watch.

"The Endless River" (2015) is a captivating cinematic experience that skillfully weaves a poignant narrative. The film's mesmerizing storytelling, coupled with stellar performances, creates a compelling atmosphere. The director's artistic vision shines through, seamlessly blending visuals and music to evoke a range of emotions.

The characters are portrayed with depth, adding authenticity to the storyline. The cinematography is both breathtaking and thought-provoking, enhancing the overall visual appeal. The soundtrack complements the narrative flawlessly, immersing the audience in the film's emotional landscape.

The pacing is well-crafted, keeping the audience engaged from start to finish. The film's exploration of themes is both profound and thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impact on the viewer. "The Endless River" is a cinematic gem that deserves recognition for its artistic merit and storytelling prowess.

whilst this movie is not to difficult to sit through for good cinematography and pleasing locations and some useful plot movements ultimately the character resolution/ development which makes a story of this type work is missing. at sff before screening the director assured us the story was complex. cant say id agree it is is fairly linear with most things in the beginning middle end type of script.

do i care about these people?not much. do they reveal new insights for me ?no. tiny is very well directed acted and shot, the male lead sadly is not. as the script doesn't help his case i cant really assess him. if anything the movie reinforces a stereotype of south Africa which again doesn't add much to our existing knowledge or perception.