Review: 'The Last Five Years' is Heartbreaking and Beautiful

Ellie Wells ’18 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

The Last Five Years tells the story of Jamie (Jeremy Jordan) and Cathy (Anna Kendrick), a young couple who fall in and out of love. An adaptation of Jason Robert Brown’s Off-Broadway musical, the film is largely faithful to its source material. Perfectly acted by Kendrick and Jordan and beautifully shot, it is an emotional experience that serves as an antithesis to the stereotypes of Hollywood romance films.
The film’s plot is told nonlinearly, like the musical, so the audience knows things are going to be serious from Kendrick’s haunting rendition of the opening number, “Still Hurting.” Cathy sits alone in the dark, her eyes red and dry as she stares at photographs from their relationship.

The film then introduces to Jamie, moving back to the beginning of their relationship. He’s an aspiring novelist, she’s an aspiring actress, and they’ve both just moved to New York City looking for their big break. Their love is passionate and true. While Jamie quickly lands a publishing deal that leads to overnight fame and fortune, Cathy attends failed audition after failed audition.
Kendrick and Jordan are both perfectly cast in their roles. Together, their chemistry is electric, and their performances allow viewers to sympathize with each of them in spite of their flaws. The film is careful not to pin the blame of the failed relationship solely on one character or the other. What makes their story truly tragic is that while they both love each other very much, they are both to blame for the relationship’s end. Cathy is more jealous of Jamie’s success than she is supportive, but Jamie puts more emphasis on his career than on his wife. Cathy shuts down when Jamie tries to be there for her, Jamie refuses to acknowledge whenever he’s made a mistake.

The cinematography and production design are both beautiful, giving the film a dreamlike quality. Scenes from early in the relationship are clad in bright, soft tones, while the later scenes are dark and harsh, as if from a nightmare. This is especially apparent towards the film’s end, when Jamie envisions the Cathy he first met as he packs his bags to leave.
The Last Five Years is intimate and small compared to recent musical adaptation successes such as Into the Woods (which also starred Kendrick) and Les Misérables, but the songs are still performed by Jordan and Kendrick with heart and soul. In fact, no songs were added, cut, or changed from the original musical. While the story is simple on its surface, it has a lot to say within its brief running time, and will leave audiences with a lot to think about after its conclusion.
Overall Grade: A

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