Life Is Better With Mac-n-Cheese and Goldfish. Movie Review: The End of Love

Movie Review: The End of Love

Genre: Drama

Writer/Director: Mark Webber

Cast: Mark Webber, Issac Love, Shannyn Sossamon, with cameos by Jason Ritter, Michael Cera, and Amanda Seyfried

Studio: Variance Films and Gravitas Ventures™

Run Time: 88 minutes

Release: VOD and Limited Release – March 1, 2013 in Los Angeles area theaters.

Rated: Not rated

Sometimes you just need five more minutes!

Sometimes, a film strikes the nail on the head when capturing the emotional struggles parents go through. The End of Love superbly grasps the rawness and realism of a young father who becomes a single parent due to the untimely death of his wife. The story delves deep into the tattered fragility of Mark’s (Mark Webber) mental state as he stumbles his way through life trying desperately to be a good father. His dependence on his friends for financial support begins bleeding the friendships of their kindness and generosity, resulting in a falling out among Mark and his two roommates. But it is Mark’s son, the adorably charming little Issac (Issac Love, Mark’s real life son) who is caught in the crosshairs as his father makes mistake after mistake.

Lydia meets Mark and Issac for the first time. He seems like a nice guy…right?

The film also highlights some key points, one of which deals with the age-old taboo of parents admitting that being a parent sucks at times. If you think about it, parents who are forbidden by society to admit their true feelings often end up harboring feelings of resentment toward their children. When Mark asks his new acquaintance Lydia (Shannon Sossamon), “How much do you love being a parent right now?” she becomes a bit uncomfortable. No one will openly admit the faux pas for fear of shame and ridicule, but The End of Love gives us an unabashed glimpse into Mark’s world. He’s grappling with a rambunctious two-year-old who is smart and communicates very well. There are moments when Issac wakes up early when all Mark would love to do is sleep for “five more minutes.” If you are a parent, single or not, you know there are those mornings and, sometimes, making oatmeal in the microwave is just too much hassle when cold cereal is easier. Pour it in a bowl, add milk, and voilá, breakfast!

The movie’s slow progression allows the audience time to understand, and maybe empathize with Mark’s plight, while trying to surmise throughout flashbacks how Issac’s mother died. Mark is slightly guarded because he feels isolated being the only parent among his acting peers. But he’s also quite impetuous with two women – an old flame and a new friend he meets at an ice cream shop – leaving them all confused. Webber does an incredibly moving job of channeling the despair of a young father and actor attempting to make a big break in the cutthroat business that is Hollywood. The way his character breaks down after an argument with his roommates completely arrests you with such visceral sorrow that you want to jump through the screen and give Mark a giant hug. Throughout The End of Love, you cannot help being drawn into Mark’s funneling downfall as he copes with looking for work, feeding his family, and trying to make a name for himself.

Losing the person you love is hard, but when you’re a parent, you have to keep going.

Again, while the film isn’t a fast paced drama filled with exciting Hollywood parties and whatnot, there is a remarkably refreshing and honest look at what it’s like to be a struggling single parent trying to make it in Hollywood. Webber does a fantastic job of capturing Los Angeles in all its beauty and ugliness – not just in the landscape, but the people, too. For me, being a single parent living in the greater Los Angeles area, I definitely can both empathize and sympathize with some of Mark’s perils. I can’t say whether I was lucky or not that my kid was in high school when I moved here nearly nine years ago, but I will say at least I didn’t have to pay for day care.

The focal point of the acting and dialogue mostly hone in on Mark and Issac; I did love Sossamon as Lydia. She’s very believable as a young single parent finding solace in meeting someone who could understand what she goes through day to day. She wants to like Mark. She wants to be his friend, but he presents a very strange challenge on their first date.

There are several big name guest appearances by Amanda Seyfried, Jason Ritter, and Michael Cera. While they aren’t show stopping or scene stealing, they add that bit of Hollywood success that Mark is desperate to achieve.

The End of Love is a poignant, realistic character study that takes you on an emotional journey filled with ice cream, mac-n-cheese, frustration, goldfish, despair, hope, friends, and most important, love.

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The End of Love is currently available on VOD (Video On Demand) and opens in Los Angeles area theatres on March 1, 2013.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.