End of Sentence (2019) User Reviews

Hawkes + Lerman amazing actors.

[yusufpiskin · 8/10 · 14 August 2020]

'Sometimes a wrong turn can get you to the right place.'

This was a movie I didn't think I was going to like as much as I did. I have seen Logan Lerman in movies growing up including Percy Jackson but I couldn't see him in a serious role, just out of prison but I was wrong. Both lead actors committed to their roles and took the audience on an emotional journey after a death.

I found the pacing of the film to be extremely well handled. The director is an icelandic director and this is his first feature film and I think he handled it with grace and gave a great style to the common genre.

It's not just an everyday father and son travel story, there are many layers to the stories and to the characters which I think makes this film stand out amongst others.

Overall I think the film was very good!

PS: Logan Lerman IS SO TALENTED HE DESERVES MORE RECOGNITION

A Son And His Father Make-Up On A Roadtrip!

[martimusross · 6/10 · 22 May 2021]

End Of Sentence

The title of this movie signifies the end of a feud between father and son, brought about by the dying wish of both mother and wife. It was also a movie that examined the grieving process on those left behind, following years of care and commitment, and how essential it is to let go of everything in life but the essential bits.

Much of its subtlety lay beyond the script and was largely inferred. Many would have missed many of these subtleties, like how the burden of caring for someone can lead to being self-absorbed and making poor life decisions, and it was this perceived neglect that led to the son going off the rails, or how the father had concealed his own abuse from his son under the guise of modesty.

The female Irish car thief added little and was perhaps both a distraction and overly contrived, this let the movie down, as did the inference of a hidden history of potential infidelity by the mother.

Overall I enjoyed this gentle story, there was good chemistry and it was well acted. I agree it not everyone's cup of tea and it really was about very little.

I give this a weak 6, meaning suitable for Sunday night viewing.

shifting family dynamics

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 28 May 2020]

Greetings again from the darkness. The pandemic has put most blockbusters and mainstream releases on hold, allowing the projects of many first time filmmakers to jump to the front of the line for exposure to critics and streaming platforms. Director Elfar Adalstein's first feature film stems from a screenplay by Michael Armbruster (BEAUTIFUL BOY, 2010) and covers familiar ground in an unfamiliar manner, enhanced by gorgeous scenery and a couple of terrific performances.

Frank Fogel (John Hawkes, WINTER'S BONE, 2010) and his wife Anna (Andrea Irvine) are visiting their son Sean (Logan Lerman, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, 2012) in an Alabama prison. Sean is serving time for stealing a car, and his mother is there to tell him goodbye. Frank and Sean are estranged, so there is no father-son visit. After the funeral, Frank shows up on Sean's day of release to convey the mother's death bed wish ... father and son are to travel together and spread her ashes on her favorite lake in Ireland. Sean has no interest in traveling with dad and only wishes to get to California for a fresh start.

Of course there would be no movie if the two men didn't eventually take the trip together, and we notice immediately that Frank, though a man of conviction, doesn't appear to have a strong backbone. Sean, acting the jerk, clearly holds a grudge against the father he views as not protecting him from an abusive grandfather during childhood. These are deep wounds that may go deeper if there is to be a chance for healing. A wake in mom's Ireland hometown reveals secrets of her past, and results in the men taking in Jewel (Sarah Bolger, one of the young daughters in Jim Sheridan's excellent IN AMERICA, 2002) as a hitchhiker. Jewel has her own secrets and agenda, and seems to both further divide father and son, while also helping pull them together. This segment is very well written and acted.

The father-son road trip is really nothing new, though the setting of Ireland, with its stunning countryside captured by cinematographer Karl Oskarsson make it a visual treat. But more than that, the basic story is elevated thanks to the work of Mr. Hawkes (a previous Oscar nominee) and Mr. Lerman. The two excellent actors make the strained relationship seem real, rather than hokey or manipulative. We sense Frank's pain in discovery, and Sean's pent-up frustration that softens when he learns more of the history. On the downside, three musical/song interludes is two too many, but fortunately the performances overcome these storytelling shortcuts. Self-discovery, the acceptance of others, and the importance of family ties are all at play here, in addition to some quirky life philosophy: "Sometimes you're the pigeon. Sometimes you're the statue. That's life."

Glad didn't miss this

[ks-60500 · 7/10 · 9 April 2020]

The beauty of this movie touches my hearts deep down. Family theme not my first priority always but this one nail it. It's not making any big speech on family values but just warming to watch and feels that family always the most important in life, for most people.

the privilege of having someone love you

[natcalgary · 7/10 · 20 February 2020]

Not usually into this type of movie but really enjoyed this one. It is sad and happy all in one. good acting good story. And it really does remind the viewer that sometimes all that matters is the privilege of having the person you love, love you back.

7.2

"Don't Let the Past Control You."

[TxMike · 7 September 2020]

Don't let the past control you. That is good advice for anyone and is the gist of what the story here is about.

It starts in Alabama, Logan Lerman is Sean Fogle, at one point he states that his mother had taken care of him for 28 years so that must be his age. He is in prison for theft, it is near the end of his sentence (thus the title) and his mother is very sick. In fact she passes away and her last wish is for her husband and son to go together to her native Ireland and scatter her ashes upon a specific small lake. In their road trip they get a hint why.

But Sean really wants no part of it, he wants nothing to do with his dad, John Hawkes in a very good role as Frank Fogle, and refuses a ride when dad arrives to pick him up as he gets released from prison. Sean and Frank are opposites, Sean blames him for old injuries and Frank may have had a role in Sean getting arrested and convicted.

Still there would be no story if they failed to take the trip, one which included a number of surprises, including Irish actress Sarah Bolger as Jewel who doesn't quite turn out the way she seems.

This is mainly a dad-son relationship movie, each must regroup and move on with life and not let the past control them. It is something his mom had told Sean during her very last visit before she died.

Good movie, my wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library. Just the movie and trailer, no "making of" extras. Sarah Bolger is a quite good singer, she does an impromptu number in a pub.

Not emotional enough somehow

[CrazyArty · 6/10 · 26 September 2021]

An estranged father and son (from the US) take a trip to scatter the mother's ashes in Ireland.

Fairly unexceptional. Not quite emotional enough, not interesting enough, script not that strong. It's okay if at a loose end but there is better out there.

I wanted it to be better, it should have been better.

[movieswithgreg · 6/10 · 18 March 2022]

Zero faults with the acting here.

It's rich in real-feeling characters from beginning to end.

And speaking of ends, this one ends with a dissipated whisper.

It almost feels like they ran out. Of something. Money? Time? Creativity?

It's the writing. It should and could have been better. Tighter.

It could have been more affecting, without being manipulative, nor obvious.

What did it need most?

Humor. Not so much humor that it became a comedy, but enough humor that it grabbed my heart.

Nice irish scenery.

Heartfelt

[gilesadhamilton · 7/10 · 24 September 2021]

Heartfelt film about forgiveness and the bonds of parenthood. Touching performances are let down by some half baked plot lines and interludes on the journey. But recommended nevertheless especially for an absolutely gorgeous pub singalong scene.

A roller coaster of laughs and tears

[doalvarez2002 · 9/10 · 19 October 2020]

Watching the first few minutes of this highly recommendable film will be enough to grip you tight for its remaining duration. From the poignant moment of a terminally ill mother who visits her young son in prison so that she can bid her last good-bye before she passes away to a joyful yet tearful quick swim of an estranged son and a loving father in a freezing cold lake somewhere in Ireland, this film is sure to invite you to take a back seat and be part of the same voyage of self-discovery that father and son begrudgingly embark on. Immaculately acted and well paced, the sentimentality hidden in it will make you relate and endear to the two main characters, especially to the father for whom I felt deeply sorry. His perseverance in salvaging his strained relationship with his son is impressive and will bring tears to your eyes.

Mark my words: this film does not have a bit of waste from the very beginning to the soon-arriving end. You will not want this film to come to an end, and the prospect of a sequel wouldn't be a bad idea after all, because the magic of this film will make you fall in love with the two main characters from the early beginning.

Father and Son in Ireland

[ZeddaZogenau · 7/10 · 17 November 2023]

This worthwhile father-son story was shown in the cinema today as a sneak preview and will be released in cinemas in a few weeks by the new German distribution company 24 BILDER. What can you say? A little private story - seen many times and yet always convincing when it's done well.

After his wife and mother die from cancer, a father (ACADEMY AWARD nominee John HAWKES) and a son (Logan LERMAN), who have not had anything to say to each other for a long time and are extremely different, set off for Ireland. There they want to scatter the ashes of the deceased in a lake (filmed on Lough Tay / Wicklow Way - this should look familiar to fans of VIKINGS). The encounter with a young Irish woman (Sarah BOLGER, who also has a great singing performance with SJ McARDLE) leads to unexpected complications and also reveals deeper injuries in the father-son relationship...

A beautiful Irish film that, with its landscape shots, seems to have been made for the big screen. The Icelandic director Elfar ADALSTEINS composes true landscapes of the soul in his film, which was released in 2019.

Suitable for everyone who appreciates even small stories and has an idea of how complicated the relationship between father and son can be!

Who wouldn't be charmed by this movie?

[stevojaxon · 8/10 · 24 February 2020]

Good story, poignant and beautifully produced. Delinquent son reconciles with estranged father during an eventful and sacred return to picturesque Ireland. Lots of Nordic type names in the closing credits ... an overwhelming reason why this is such a lovely movie ...

A Colander of a Story...

[Xstal · 1/10 · 28 May 2020]

... but with more holes in it, albeit with a few contrived plasters to stem the flow, sees Robert Shaw of Jaws fame reincarnated as the youthful but disagreeable son in a film about learning to drive manual cars and forgiving car theft if you're a pretty young thing.

Packs an Emotional Punch

[amirmustafaa · 9/10 · 21 October 2020]

Road trip movies are difficult to pull off because it's so easy for them to be too familiar and generic. While there are some parts in End of Sentence that feel familiar, what sets it apart is how incredible John Hawkes and Logan Lerman are. They are two of the most underrated actors working right now and they both give emotionally impactful performances. Plus, this film is full of beautiful scenery and has a genuinely emotionally resonant story. Overall, a good film.

An underrated gem

[patientjoel · 9/10 · 14 May 2020]

Wow, what a roller-coaster of emotions. This movie had me laughing and crying along with it. I was going to say, 'laughing and crying in equal measure', but in truth, the laughing outweighed the crying. Only the ending drew tears from me.

It had a haunting soundtrack, two of the songs in the movie - one very old, one modern - will stay with me for a long time.

It's a story of dysfunctional families, disenfranchised youth and hidden pasts.

Well worth the watch, in my opinion, doubt you'd be disappointed.

Waste of a good idea

[taylorphilip · 2/10 · 15 June 2020]

'From the irritatingly bland father to the meandering plot, this was a waste of time and effort by all involved. I despair when scripts of this low standard are able to raise finance for this missed opportunity of a movie. It had potential, but failed to deliver on all sides. And the ending was beyond predictable..............has anybody ever smashed a container of a relatives ashes in the history of tv and film before? I will leave you to ponder that. Massive disappointment.

Realistic, satisfying and worth the watch

[Alocam · 10/10 · 15 June 2020]

End of sentence is the story of an attempt at reconciliation between father and son. It's a long road for both of them and you don't really know how it's going to turn out. This is well directed. The acting is first class. Logan Lerman shows his depth here more than anything I've seen to date. The cinematography is going to be seen to be enjoyed.

A Masterpiece

[tonieheyneke · 9/10 · 22 July 2020]

I enjoyed thus movie greatly. Nothing pretentious nothing cliched, just pure story telling waking deep feelings about the importance if family. Excellent acting. Hope to see more of Elfar Adalsteins work soon.

relationship movie

[fmwongmd · 5/10 · 4 December 2020]

Basically a story about the relationship between son and father with some unbelieable parts.

This Is A Must See Movie

[daddygracenyc · 10/10 · 23 May 2021]

I came across this movie by accident. When I saw the lead actor Logan Lerman, in this movie, he looked so familiar. I later realized, he was in the movie Percy Jackson. The movie centers around a estranged father and son. They both travel to Ireland to take the ashes of their mother and wife to her native country. As the movie continues, both the father and son end by showing their love for one another because they only have each other.

The movie made me cry at times and the father was a timid and nice person that let people push him around in life.

So beautiful

[sami2005 · 8/10 · 29 September 2023]

A beautiful movie, a beautiful father-son relationship with ups and downs, tenderness, longing and doubt, a bad history in the family due to the grandfather, and a beautiful fleeting relationship. Ireland is so beautiful, this movie encouraged me to visit it. Beautiful music, the director's choice of it and the way the film was shot are wonderful, and a wonderful performance from John Hawkes and Logan Lehman. I wished it would be longer so I could see more beautiful places in Ireland. The director chose the cast well, especially the beautiful actresses, and a wonderful scenario. The ending seen in the lake was amazing.