by Robbie Tucker

Memories are fickle, and time may serve to warp them. Tony Webster, played by always endearing Jim Broadbent, finds out just how much in the deeply affecting The Sense of an Ending. Nick Payne’s adaptation, of the Julian Barnes novel, is a tenderhearted patchwork of reminiscences, past and present, stitched seamlessly by director Ritesh Batra.

Portrayed with both melancholy and whimsy, we glide easily between Tony’s dreams and daydreams. There’s a mystery that haunts him, and it unravels amid ‘60s music that begs for a soundtrack. And the soulfulness of the characters is well served by a handful of favorite British actors: Harriet Walter, Michelle Dockery, Emily Mortimer, and the smoldering Charlotte Rampling, among them.

Ultimately, it’s Tony’s story about growing up in his sixties. After his epiphany, he reminds us — the stories we tell ourselves are the most important. And, if we’re very lucky, sometimes we get to rewrite them.

About the Reviewer: Robbie Tucker drove a ’55 two-toned Buick Roadmaster in San Francisco, where she started working in film production. She convinced Francis Coppola to let her work on the movie about her namesake, but moved to New York City before shooting began. When she’s not writing her own memoir, or ghost writing someone else’s, you can probably find her at the movies.