The off-Broadway musical film “The Last Five Years” follows the story of a successful writer, Jamie (played by Jeremy Jordan), falling in love with Cathy, a struggling actress (played by Anna Kendrick), and their five-year relationship. Thanks to their on-screen chemistry, one can feel the connection between the two from the beginning – or else it would have been a hard movie to sit through.

The first lines of the film are with Cathy sitting alone in their townhouse crying and singing, “Jamie is over and Jamie is gone. / Jamie’s decided it’s time to move on. / Jamie has new dreams he’s building upon. / And I’m still hurting.” Although you can already tell by the lyrics what will happen next, the film’s captivating emotions make you want to sit through the rest.

From there, the film backtracks to the beginning of their relationship, from their first date to their engagement, wedding, book release parties for Jamie and more.

The film captivates even more by showing viewers how important it is to still be an individual when in a relationship rather than solely a couple. This is shown in the musical number “Climbing Uphill” when Cathy realizes she is more on the sidelines of the relationship, not wanting to become a housewife as her husband becomes successful.

The film does have a few faults such as scenes that seem to be misplaced or repeated. It would have helped as a viewer to have a time-stamp provided, since the film does take place over a five year time period.

There is a lot of singing, and I love musicals, but it would have been nice to have a bit of dialogue between the two characters to understand what they were going through at those various points. However, this makes for a unique viewing experience.

As the first lines and the trailer showed, the ending might be obvious, but the full story leaves you craving for more.

Kendrick shows a different side of her acting as she plays a character in a more vulnerable state than her other films. She shines superbly with her voice and brings the musical to film for audiences to enjoy.

Anna Kendrick is best known for her roles in “Pitch Perfect,” “Into the Woods” and “Up in the Air.”

Jeremy Kennedy has previously been in “SMASH” and “Joyful Noise.”

Writer and director Richard LaGravenese is best known for his involvement with “A Little Princess,” “Monster-in-Law” and “Freedom Writers.” He was also a screenwriter for the award-winning film “Unbroken.”

If you are looking to check out the film in Southern California, it is at Playhouse 7 in Pasadena and the Sundance Sunset Theater in West Hollywood. More locations are on the film’s official website: http://lastfiveyearsmovie.com/

The movie is also now available on iTunes and Amazon.