The Sense of an Ending movie review (2017)

The arrival of a certified letter disrupts his routine. It turns out the mother of his first love, Veronica, a vivacious young woman he met in college, has died. She has willed him an item that Veronica, whom he hasn’t seen in over 50 years, now refuses to give him. As Tony tries to track it down, he shares with Margaret the story of this young romance, as well the friendship with a fellow classmate that came to a tragic end.

“The Sense of An Ending” glides back and forth between a series of conversations between the exes, each of which ends with Margaret growing exasperated with Tony, and the events from the early ‘60s themselves, starring Billy Howle and Freya Mavor as the young Tony and Veronica. Working with cinematographer Christopher Ross, Batra shoots these flashback scenes warmly in contrast to the crisp cloudiness of contemporary London. There’s a smoky, faded quality that suggests the haziness of memory.

Mortimer is vibrant in just a few scenes as Veronica’s perky, playful mother, while Joe Alwyn (“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk”) leaves a melancholy impression as Adrian, the mutual friend who deeply affected Tony and Veronica’s blossoming relationship.

But the most powerful scene of all comes courtesy of Rampling, which should come as no surprise to anyone who’s familiar with the veteran actress’ work. Along those lines, “The Sense of An Ending” surely will call to mind 2015’s “45 Years,” which deservedly earned Rampling an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. That film also followed the domestic destruction caused by a letter with news from the past. Here, in one exquisitely sad and tense moment with Broadbent at a café, Rampling provides a brief glimpse into what all the fuss is about.