Is mind-muddling
THE KEY IS AT THE END: PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER ABOUT LOVE, DEVOTION AND SACRIFICE
Following a woman madly in love with a man who is obsessed with attention.
What sets out like it’s going to be a beautiful tale of a couple happily and madly in love with each other soon becomes a tragic, romantic thriller involving the dying wish of a woman to get appreciation from the man she loves.
Starring Jennifer Lawrence as Veronica, the hopeless woman in love with a conceited man, played by Javier Bardem, the film opens on a couple living in a broken-down, triple-storey, 18th century Elizabethan house in the middle of nowhere.
Determined to restore the house to its original glory, Veronica finds herself fighting for the affection of her husband, who seems less interested in her than in his career as an author.
The third character making up this love triangle is the house, which also happens to be the man’s family home yet is connected to Veronica, who seems to have a mystical power to feel the heart of the house.
Before long, the couple host an uninvited family who rope them into their disputes which leads to a murder.
But all this drama seems rather tame compared to the spectacle of poor Veronica moving around in circles figuratively and literally, trying to make sense of things, hoping that her true love will stretch out a hand and save her.
Confused and conflicted, young Veronica moves in and out of feelings of jealousy, anxiety and rage, all of which are indirectly aimed at her husband, who is determined to find inspiration in the strangers’ lives.
The continuous ebb and flow of emotions became rather tedious to watch. Also, I could not understand why this beautiful woman chooses to be second-best.
An hour into the film I found myself conflicted between walking out as the storyline seemed rather too far-fetched, or staying to see how this mysterious cycle of love and devotion would end. Curiosity got the better end of me so I stayed.
But, throughout, I kept asking myself what the other characters’ names were, as no one bothered to ask, even Veronica. Imagine host- ing guests that you only know by their job titles.
Only at the end did it all make sense. It seems our damsel finds herself enchanted by the ghost of a man she believed was the love of her life, only to lose all that she has, including her chance at becoming a mother.
I won’t push you to watch this film, especially if guns and car chases is your thing, because it has none of that. But if you enjoyed Inception starring Leonardo DiCaprio, then this movie is for you. For a DVD collector, it’s also perfect for those romantic firstdate-at-home nights.