"The Last Five Years" Is Here
Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 7:03PM 
My two favorite Off Broadway musicals of all time have both now made the trek to movie screens. Hedwig and the Angry Inch which I saw thrice in 1999 right after moving to NYC became an instant cult classic in film form thanks to its brilliant creator / star / writer John Cameron Mitchell. He just returned to the role on Broadway (though he's out for a bit after an injury so Michael C Hall is back to fill in for him). The second The Last Five Years took much longer. I saw it during the last week of its original run (whew!) in 2002 and 13 years later it's on screens with Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan as the troubled couple Cathy and Jamie who can't quite connect (illustrated narratively by his story moving forward while hers moves backwards through the relationship. It's not the unqualified success that Hedwig was but if you love the movie musical genre you really need to see it because it's a really unique beast.
Radius TWC is distributing which means there aren't many theaters playing it yet beyond Los Angeles, New York and Toronto but it's also available On Demand. On Oscar weekend it expands to several more cities. I'd love to hear from any TFE readers who see it. It's a very unusual musical to adapt since the concept is very theatrical and it's intimate whereas most movie musicals are big glitzy things. Wisely they cast two actors who can sing the hell out of its tremendously satisfying song score.
Two key blog posts in case you missed them...
Anna Kendrick Interview
Nathaniel: "Summer in Ohio"... I LOVE this version.
Anna Kendrick: I'm so glad. It was a ton of work. In the show she's writing a letter but I thought when I'm away from my boyfriend we Skype. And Cathy in that number is not just recounting her day, she's performing for Jamie because even at the beginning of their marriage she’s like “I have to keep him interested. I have to keep him in love with me”... [Read the Rest]
Toronto Film Festival Review
The first thing you see in The Last Five Years is a white brownstone. It looks almost like a ghost in the middle of a New York City block. As the notes begin to play, the camera drifts upwards to peer into windows and search for its movie star within them. No, that's not her. Not her either. Ah, there she is. Anna Kendrick sings the entirety of "Still Hurting", moping around a dark apartment, crying. The camera moves around her (in strange patterns) and her voice is just beautiful. And then I realize I've forgotten to breathe and am gripping my armrest. [Read the Rest]
Reader Comments (7)
I know you didn't love it, but I'm glad you're still getting the word out there!
Yep, I will definitely be seeing this.
No love for musicals out there? Anna Kendrick really grew on me with Pitch Perfect and I have liked her ever since so I'm going. I like musicals and I'm just hoping that if it is a low key version that it hits that same sweet spot that Begin Again and Pitch Perfect hit.
Is it such a hard sell that on demand release is necessary?
Is it such a hard sell that on demand release is necessary?
This surprised me too. I saw the movie back in the fall at Chicago's festival. This ridiculously tiny theatrical release is disappointing to me, I think it's a decent enough film that it could catch on. They must just have no budget to promote it or something. Or think that only the musical theater devotees are going to be interested. I think people who don't know about this kind of musical would actually like it if they tried, but they have to learn that it even exists.
Just got done watching this. I do think the VOD was the right move here - it's lovely but it's just not very cinematic. And I'd rather this stay niche and be a cult gem rather than get considered a mid-sized underperformer.
Speaking of finding their niche, how great that so many directors are in the Anna Kendrick business these days.
I cannot disagree with Nathaniel more about this film - I think LaGravenese did an excellent job of translating this show from stage to film. I hold the show very close to my heart and I was very worried that it wouldn't work, but I feel like it succeeds brilliantly.
I could imagine some audiences getting confused by the timelines, but it's not more clear on stage. Anyone who has seen the show on stage is more likely at an advantage, but if you see it without prior knowledge, I imagine it works just as well - as a portrait of a relationship. The back and forth narrative works, even if you don't strictly pick up on the duelling chronologies.
As for the camera work, I think it's great. There are some staging decisions that are somewhat problematic (Shiksa Goddess is over directed, Next Ten Minutes is awkwardly close), but overall I think the camera moves match the songs and the singing. And it's cut together to match the rhythm of the music, in a way I haven't seen since Moulin Rouge.
Anna and Jeremy are both amazing. I think they are a great match on screen and they needed to be as strong as each other, or risk upsetting the balance.
Wrote a long analysis on my blog, just to get my head around everything I wanted to say about it.
Oh gosh! Just watched this on demand and im a hot mess! It more than exceeded my expectations. Most reviews have singled out Kendrick, and while I believe she nails many a moment, Jordan is just as good and effective. Now, should I watch it again? :)