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"Rachel & Zach
Sitting in a Tree... F -
U - C ........" |
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Directed by Tony Goldwyn
- Written by Paul Haggis
Based on the 2003
Italian Film, "L'Ultimo
Bacio" Directed
by Gabriele Muccino
Starring Zach Braff,
Jacinda Barrett, Rachel
Bilson, Casey Affleck,
Marley Shelton
Michael Weston, Eric
Christian Olsen, Blythe
Danner, Tom Wilkinson
Distributed by
Dreamworks -
2006 - 104mins - Rated R |
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A case of good and bad balancing each other out. |
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Let me start by saying
that I consider Zach Braff to be one of the funniest and most charming
young actors currently working today. I will also make it clear that I
am no fan of Paul Haggis, whose writing is overwrought and
unrealistic, inspiring mostly groans fro me.
So here is a movie written by Haggis but starring Braff. Yin and yang,
etc.
The result is a mixed bag. Braff leads an ensemble of mostly young
(and some veteran) actors in a tour de force of thespian craft. There
is comedy and drama in equal amounts and everyone handles extremely
well. In addition to Braff, Casey Affleck, Jacinda Barrett and Rachel
Wilson all turn in top of the line performances. It is therefore
unfortunate that they are given terrible, terrible dialogue to work
with. How can a scene be dramatic if the spoken words cause the
audience to burst into laughter (as was the case in my theater)?
Before you send me e-mails telling me that this is a remake of another
movie, let me emphasize that it is Haggis’ putrid dialogue, not the
basic story, that I have issues with.
The story is a lot darker than I thought it would be: boy and girl in
love, boy scared of the future, boy has affair, boy destroys all that
he loves, boy must attempt to right things and so forth. The tone,
thanks to director Tony Goldwyn is vividly real, lending weight to
otherwise laughable scenes.
Other than the dialogue, my biggest issue with “The Last Kiss” is
either a directorial problem or a script problem…I don’t know which.
The problem is that the first half of the film introduces us to
Braff’s plot as well as about four other subplots, most of them quite
interesting (the weak one being about Blythe Danner and Tom Wilkinson
going through marital troubles…there is even an incredibly
embarrassing cameo by Harold Ramis). However, by the halfway point,
the entire focus of the film is on Braff’s storyline. The other
stories are left dead in the water; none of them have proper
resolutions.
This is ultimately a case of good and bad balancing each other out.
The grade is as high as it is for two reasons: the acting and a nearly
DIALOGUE FREE last fifteen minutes that are as good as “Punch Drunk
Love” and “The Graduate,” both of which I consider to be pinnacles of
romantic drama. This movie ends exactly where and when it should.
There is even a possibility that it could go on longer, but the right
choice is made.
The ending saved me from not recommending this to slightly
recommending this. This could have been a great film.
Zach Braff & Jacinda Barrett in "The
Last Kiss" |
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© Written by Jacob Hall -
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TC Candler's Comment
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Richard Propes' Comment
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