All Good Things" provides a fine example of the potential weaknesses in drama projects based on real-life events. The first two-thirds of the film has a strong script coupled with excellent performances, direction and cinematography, all working harmoniously together to tell the story of a doomed love affair between David and Katie Marks. David is the eldest son of the patriarch of a wealthy and politically connected NY real estate family. His charming facade conceals a fragile interior damaged through witnessing the violent suicide of his mother at a young age. He desires to live a simple life with the warmhearted, uncomplicated Katie, but his controlling father forces him to work in the part of the family business that hosts Times Square prostitution rackets. The internal and external pressures undermine David's stability, and the couple's marriage deteriorates into mutual distrust, substance abuse and physical assault - followed by Katie's suspicious disappearance.
The last third of the film is a mishmash of dramatized news reports and court proceedings, blended with dubious speculations and melodramatic faction - leading to a disappointing conclusion that reeks of lawyers supervising the screenplay. Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst play the two lead roles with sensitivity and skill, but their efforts can't save a film that leaves one shrugging one's shoulders at all the manipulative theorizing.
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