The Endless River (2015) User Reviews

Not bad ... (some spoilers)

[PoppyTransfusion · 6/10 · 13 October 2015]

Set in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and taking in sights along its famous 'Garden route' is this tale of murder and grief. Gilles is a French émigré whose family are brutally murdered. Tiny has been reunited with her husband Percy on his release from prison after four years. He was a member of a gang but is determined to start afresh under pressure from Tiny and her mother. Gilles's family's murders are associated to a local gang and Percy is suspected of involvement. When Percy becomes a victim of what appears to be another gang murder, Gilles finds solace with his grieving wife. They embark on a journey together but the beauty of their trip conceals something dark.

The film is photographed well and the acting is good; Nicolas 'Nico' Duvauchelle delivers as always and so do the supporting cast. Unfortunately the film's soundtrack is too dramatic as are some of the expressions of grief. Raw, physical sorrow does not sit well with the slow and despairing pace that is the film's main tempo. The characterisations are quite good but the script is banal. The ambiguous ending comes across as ambivalent suggesting there was no idea how to close the tale.

All in all a mixed bag but the film was good enough to hold my attention.

sadly lacking

[tomdickson · 5/10 · 15 June 2016]

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.

Watchable, but a bit rough around the edges

[euroGary · 7/10 · 21 October 2015]

I don't know if officials in the South African Department of Trade and Industry vetted the script of 'The Endless River' before agreeing to part-finance it; if they did, they can't be terribly concerned about their country's reputation, as the film opens with a woman being gang-raped and (together with her two young sons) shot dead by masked intruders in her own home. And unless my eyes aren't as sharp as I thought, when police arrest some men for the crime, they've actually got it wrong - they've arrested black men, and the body parts revealed during the rape are white!

The woman is the wife of Gilles, a French ex-pat and recent arrival to small-town South Africa. Fortunately for this bereaved husband and father, he's got South Africa's most unbelievably irresponsible police detective on his side, for when the latter decides, on scant if any evidence, that a newly-released jailbird must be responsible for the crime, he provides Gilles with a photograph of the suspect. Soon enough, the suspect turns up dead. Gilles offers his condolences to the dead man's widow, Tiny, whom he knows from her job in a café he frequents. Soon the pair, united in grief, take off together on a road trip - but what will happen when Tiny discovers that Gilles knew her husband was a suspect in his family's murders?

As Gilles, Nicolas Duvauchelle sounds impossibly sexy when speaking English - as, of course, do all French people. But there are times - especially during particularly emotional scenes - when he is too obviously Acting with a capital A. But Crystal-Donna Roberts is very believable as Tiny, nicely portraying the creeping disappointment when her jailbird husband seems to be reverting to his old ways, the grief when he is killed, and the joy of potential new love with Gilles (and every man who watches the film will in turn fall in love with her).

Despite the obvious plot holes and some dangling plot threads, the film is interesting and it's one I'll probably watch again.

A good idea, and a good low budget film

[brentmay-36131 · 7/10 · 29 May 2020]

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.

Pain and Joy Flicker like Flames

[Blue-Grotto · 10/10 · 19 March 2016]

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.

Emotionally deep & engaging

[smithiealan · 7/10 · 28 May 2020]

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.

The Endless River

[tshinavhe · 10/10 · 9 January 2024]

"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.