Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

While the idea of telling the story of a relationship out of order isn't half as a quirky or original idea as the interviews with the cast on the DVD would lead you to believe there is still a lot to like about this modern musical adapted to film by the director of PS I Love You.The main selling point/draw is Anna Kendrick. Not only is she very pretty and funny, but she's also a good singer, who shines in every number.Her male counterpart was less engaging, but to be fair, when faced with Kendrick, I think anyone would come off second best.I'm not saying this is the best musical of all time, or even of the last few years, but it has its moments if you're in the musical mood.

Based on a 2001 Off-Broadway musical of the same name, "The Last Five Years" is, as its name implies, about a relationship between a couple who has their highs and lows. Weaving between the past and present this story follows the exploits of a novelist (Jordan) and would-be Broadway dancer (Kendrick) as they try to balance their professional exploits with their personal lives. Even at its happiest there's something offsetting and strange about their contented composure, and so most of this film is a depressing thrall (in a good way).Kendrick is flawless, as has been demonstrated many times before ("Pitch Perfect," "Into the Woods," etc.). Her paramour is played by Jeremy Jordan, who has a background on Broadway as well. Both have the voices for this film, and the music is full of sarcastic fits of belting, but also an aching hurt, demonstrated well in early 00's musical theater. The plot sometimes makes it difficult for the songs to have an emotional impact because there's not always a clear build. The first scene is the end of their relationship, which has an amazing performance from Kendrick, and a great song, but it isn't exactly clear how we as the audience should feel. The ending doesn't really clear this up either, which is the start of everything. It seems like these two were always doomed.While I liked most of this film, I didn't see much chemistry between the two leads. Most of the film they're apart either due to their work, the constraints of the novelist's fame, or the actress taking a job in Ohio. The only scene where they truly connect is "The Schmuel Song" which is a nonsensical, annoying footnote in the discography for this film. Though I found the depressing nature of the plot engrossing, the plot was uneven throughout and therefore this film is obviously flawed.

The Last Five Years is a sequel musical, coming after Songs for a New World; Which introduces these characters, and builds them up together. Songs for a New World, but, yet, was not given a movie adaptation. The main cast is comprised of two people, Anna Kendrick as Cathy Hiatt, and Jeremy Jordan as Jamie Wellerstein. There is no supporting cast to speak of, instead focused on these two characters. The Last Five Years is, as the title implies, about the last five years of something. In this case, it's a relationship.Anna Kendrick is the newer of the two actors here. She understands the character, a despairing and unsuccessful New York actress. She plays a normal, struggling woman dealing with a, to put it lightly, eccentric boyfriend/husband. Here, her personality is lost at moments, content to merely follow along on the pomp and parade that is her husband's life. There is a bit of a disconnect between them, song-wise. In the moments she is involved in his songs, she doesn't interact much. Part of this can be blamed on the character itself, but part is also in the emotions conveyed with lines, as well as a lack of the emotional conviction that would be expected of one in her circumstance.Her costar, Jeremy Jordan of Smash fame, does far better in his role. He takes cues from the original actor, it shows in his mannerisms and the odd voices he does. He can do the egomaniac writer well, he lives for such a big role and it's obvious. He flows between the varying emotional states and moods of the role, and it feels genuine. There's not much to be said about him, other than that it's a solid performance from a solid actor.The staging and editing is, as to be expected, quite good. One thing I have to bring up is the almost surreal attitude of the movie. In the beginning, we have scenes such as a choreographed dance number on a New York street, and a seemingly endless black hallway of ex- girlfriends. Later, when they continue on the worse aspects of the relationship, all traces of that are gone. It becomes very standard, almost, and upsets the tone in a way that may not have been intentional. This, combined with the use of saturation to differentiate the scenes, with emerald green grass in one moment and a nearly grey apartment the next, causes a disconnect within the movie itself. It feels disjointed in multiple ways, due to all of the tonal and artistic shifts.The original writer was involved in the creation, as was the initial female lead who kept the pace going from behind the scenes. The biggest issue is an understanding of pacing, given how the source material bounces around. The storytelling is meant to be opposed. The woman, Cathy, her story is started at the end of the relationship. It rewinds, every other songs, to the very beginning of their relationship over the course of the movie. The male lead, Jamie, his story starts at the beginning. With his relationship to her, and then following to the conclusion we already know from her story. The two don't share songs except for brief moments, usually. They share screen time, but nothing else. The last song, as he says goodbye and she meets him, is one of two times they both sing in the same song. The other time is right smack dab in the middle of the movie, where he proposes to her. As such, it is very difficult to get a feel for their chemistry. It causes issues with knowing where exactly you're at, relying on the musical narrative with no outside aid.Overall, it's a solidly average movie. Not perfect, not horrid. The chemistry they share, for how hard it can be to measure, is the best thing holding it together, followed by Jeremy Jordan's portrayal of his character. I can recommend seeing it, if only to experience the story and the different attitudes present throughout. You can laugh and cry and feel the movie tug at your heartstrings when it wants to, which is the most you can ask for from any musical.

I hate to be harsh, really, but I love to be sincere.Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan are both great, really, and the film is good… nevertheless, unfortunately, it results hard to like and I am afraid that the reason is the music. As in the purest Opera tradition, this musical is a non-stop singing drama. Melodies, however, are not catching and that's where and why (on my humble opinion) it flops.Without disturbing the masters (Mozart, Verdi… or even Berg), it should be recalled that even Operettas' Authors like Lehar or Leoncavallo built their fortunes on easy to recall, enjoyable tunes. And that writing both the Musical score and the Libretto (as Wagner, most notably, did) usually leads to heavier results.