Andrew Jarecki; a name I wasn’t entirely familiar with, he is probably known most for producing the hit documentary film Catfish (2010). Whilst Jarecki has directed and produced mainly documentaries he brings All Good Things onto our screens with a respectable cast including the uprising star Ryan Gosling- The Notebook (2004) Blue Valentine (2010) and Kirsten Dunst, Bring it On (2000) Spider Man (2002).
The film begins as what seems as a love story which takes a steady turn into a remotely dramatic thriller with the element of being based on “true events” which compliments Jaracki and his knowledge of sticking to facts due to his previous film making in documentaries. Set in the early 1970s David(Gosling) charms and wins the heart of Katie (Dunst) whilst unclogging her sink. After his father threatens to cut of David’s income, David leaves his health food store with Katie and begins to work in real-estate for his big shot father in the city.
As the story progresses it shows the story of a marriage deteriorating, Katie begins to realise she doesn’t know what her husband is capable of. His controlling actions begin with forcing her to have an abortion and spiral downwards putting Katie in more danger than she is aware of. The performance by Dunst glows as her character develops from a youthful happy girl than begins to fade as her marriage crumbles, combining this with Goslings performance of a charming man who begins to reveal his inner dark personality that developed when David’s mother committed suicide infant of him when he was a child, the two actors create a bond between the characters that feels natural to watch.
When David’s mentality begins to loose control there is something very creepy and alarming about his character presented with great accuracy by Gosling. The cinematography is basic and the cold tints of blue and grey add to the eerie story that unfolds. As Katie becomes absent in the story Gosling continues as David with a believable and compelling performance which is let down by the plot and where the story begins to go. Jaracki has tried to develop the “facts” more in the second half which gets somewhat lost and the story begins to feel a little lifeless. The film is good, but it isn’t spectacular and the events aren’t as shocking as the film starts to lead us on to think they will be. The conclusion is disappointing but you can’t deny the talent of the actors which is almost all the film has going for it. The film isn’t exciting and it isn’t particularly satisfying but if you like unresolved crime thriller films or documentaries All Good Things is an unsettling and mildly enjoyable time passer.