Compelling elements, dragged down by repetition, plodding pace, and unengaging love scenes. It could and should have been so much more. In reading, we often move at a more leisurely pace, controlled by the speed of language often sounded and played on the screens of our imagination.
Films are an action medium.
They derive much of their dramatic punch by demanding of the audience and storyteller a continuous pace and flow of events. The strength of a film is in presenting to us what people do, how they shape events, and how they interact. We have not read the novel upon which End of the Affair is based, and, in any case, we believe that a film should stand on its own. Whether due to the difficulties of the adaptation process in moving from the interior world to the action world, or due to decisions made in the editing room, we sadly report that, despite important themes, End of the Affair falls short of its potential. The film is repetitive, plodding, and ultimately disappointing.