LogFAQs > #933745139

10. The Last Five Years

Johnbobb: 4
Genny: 6
Karo: 7
JONA: 8
KBM: 16
Inviso: 24
Scarlet: 34

Johnbobb - Anna Kendrick is a goddess among common men and I've listened to this soundtrack by far more than any other on the list.
Favorite song: See I'm Smiling

Genny - The Last Five Years pulls something off I've yet to see before in that it tells a story from two different perspectives without completely demonizing either person. It does feel jumbled and out of order at times, but it's a wonderfully tragic tale and I didn't end up hating anyone in it. Rather I felt sympathetic toward both Jaime and Cathy, who both did their best to make their partner feel beloved and important, but were powerless to save their marriage. Ultimately, there's something almost whimsical about being given all the puzzle pieces at different times and putting together what made what was once a happy relationship disintegrate.

Karo - This is a musical film about a couple having marital problems, something that doesnt sound like the makings of a good musical, yet it is somehow.
Basically the story goes though their whole relationship from when they first meet until they break up, and even though not a lot happens it is still interesting, and the music style is quirky and fun.

Score: 74/100

Best Song: 'A Summer In Ohio'

JONA - I really like the idea of the same storyline being told in two different ways, with different perspectives. The relationship drama is intriguing, and the songs are great. I was liking how it seemed to be a mutual falling out of love and not being completely one persons fault, but its absolutely Jamies fault. That being said, I still found it quite good.
Favorite Song: See Im Smiling

KBM - Why I Chose It: Arguably Jason Robert Brown's most widely-known musical, despite having never made it to Broadway, The Last Five Years has received plenty of major performances all over the world. It has become especially well-known for its story structure, in which Cathy's story is told in reverse chronological order while Jamie's is told chronologically, and in which the two actors only directly interact during the wedding song in the middle (The Next Ten Minutes) as the two timelines intersect. It is also well-known for its emotional gravitas as a semi-autobiographical account of JRB's own failed marriage. The film adaptation, written and directed by Richard LaGravenese (Oscar-nominated for writing The Fisher King, and also known for writing and directing P.S. I Love You), met with mixed reviews upon its very limited, primarily video-on-demand release, with near-universal praise for the performances of Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan, but less enthusiasm for the story structure's success in translating to film.

My Thoughts: Okay, so this is another show I've actually been a part of, having played the fiendishly-difficult piano accompaniment for the live show; it's also a show I absolutely fell in love with in the process. This was always gonna be a nigh-impossible one to adapt to film. To the credit of everyone involved, I think they did ALMOST as good a job as you can do. It's such a quintessentially Theatrical Conceit to have a story told, by a cast of only two people, from two different chronological directions, and since by and large you're walking into the theatre EXPECTING that kind of conceit when you see the show, it can be a very different experience to just watch a film adaptation of such a story, especially if you're going in unfamiliar with the source material. I can definitely see how it would be difficult to grasp what the story is doing with chronology if you're not already familiar with the show. That all being said, I still absolutely love all the music (JRB is a god among common men), and Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan are both perfectly cast in the roles of the two lovers whose relationship is doomed from the start. It just...this was always gonna be a nigh-impossible one to adapt to film. They did a really good job, but there's only so much you can do here, I think. Go see the stage show if and when it comes near you, you'll understand what I mean.

Favorite Song: Goodbye Until Tomorrow

Inviso - It took me WAY too long to figure out the story structure this film was going for. Like, pretty much any time the timeline switches back to the happiest days of the couples early dating, it feels like a generic, bubblegum pop musical that does little to stand out from the crowd. Meanwhile, the SHARP contrast when you have that tonal shift to the darkest days at the END of their relationshipit just feels weird, and those songs arent even especially enjoyable. I guess that, while I appreciate the films unique structure, and the showcasing of how a relationship can break down, despite such a strong and loving start, ultimately, it left me feeling bored through most of its runtime, and I didnt enjoy the characters. Seriously, both leads felt like self-absorbed assholes, while simultaneously coming across as justified in being self-absorbed assholes because of how awful their partner was. Eh.

Scarlet - The blandest musical Ive ever seen anchored by a narcissistic douchebag with a punchable face and a version of Anna Kendrick that might actually be a corpse just manipulated with wires.
Best Song: Shiksa Goddess