LAST NIGHT
reviewer Dexter KongRated: 12A (UK)
Release Date: June 3rd, 2011(UK)
Director: Massy Tadjedin
Cast: Kiera Knightly, Eva Mendes, Sam Worthington, Guillaume Canet
Last Night is a film by relatively new director Massy Tadjedin who also wrote the script. It stars Sam Worthington (Joanna Reed) and Keira Knightley (Michael Reed) as a relatively young married couple and follows an in depth look at a strained relationship, that begins to unravel once the seeds of doubt begin to emerge in Joanna’s mind. Both abide by the classical sense of what a relationship is, at least up until the point it is questioned.
On one hand there is Michael, who has an attraction struck up by the type of fleeting office romances which usually pass us by; whilst in contrast Joanna, after a chance encounter, has old emotional attachments resurface when she meets a former lover.
It jumps back and forth between the two, always flirting with the notion that either or could suddenly end their relationship, leaving a sombre tone throughout the film.
Last Night makes one question the sinews that consist of any relationship. Physical attraction, emotional attachment, even just the kind of bond between two people. The tone throughout hits a somewhat sombre mood.
Sam Worthington does not really display any emotion apart from a stone cold disposition. Although this is a rather plain facade with underlying guilt. Kiera Knightly on the other hand, although starting off in a stately conserved manner, soon hits her stride once her emotional attachment takes off & serves up a melting pot of emotions as her character stands divided. It is probably one of her best performances in a film. Guillaume Canet as the French counterpart and former flame, Alex, backs up Knightly with an equally strong performance. Throughout the film we catch glances as he stares and thinks of Joanna, there is a strong believability in each pondering thought and he comes off as a charismatic person, rather than someone who is merely trying to steal a woman away.
Last Night doesn’t try to do much and knows precisely that it is purely a character piece about the trials of relationship, neither lying here nor there. Though it seems to impart some kind of innate sense of moral right and wrong, I left with what I can regard as, ultimately, forgettable remnants of the film; rather like a long forgotten relationship.
Nothing much gained nothing much lost.
Looks like a nice rental to me.
ReplyDeleteDo people consider Mendes to be a good actress? In every interview she highlights the fact that she's so sexy/beautiful that people don't take her seriously as an actress, and apparently here she wanted to be 'de-sexified' (a term she herself used in an interview). I don't think they succeeded.