Since the hit musical
The Last Five Years -- a bittersweet exploration of a relationship's thrilling beginning and crushing end from different perspectives -- features little dialogue, the soundtrack to its film adaptation carries a lot of emotional weight. Fortunately, stars
Jeremy Jordan (who has appeared in Broadway productions of Bonnie & Clyde and Newsies, as well as on the musical TV series Smash) and
Anna Kendrick (who has established her musical bona fides in
Pitch Perfect and Into the Woods) are up to the task. As up-and-coming writer Jamie,
Jordan moves from lovestruck on songs like "Shiksa Goddess" to frustrated on "Nobody Needs to Know." Meanwhile,
Kendrick's Cathy, a struggling actress, experiences it all in reverse, starting with the heartbroken "Still Hurting" and rewinding to smitten on the finale "Goodbye Until Tomorrow/I Could Never Rescue You." They both bring enough heart to their performances to make their viewpoints equally affecting and believable, particularly on "The Next Ten Minutes," one of the few times they sing together. ~ Heather Phares