Last Night

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TV and magazines tell us that fifty per cent of marriages end in divorce and that marriage isn't the solid institution it used to be. Last Night is a modern love story for these statistics. What is infidelity exactly? Is it purely physical? Can you cheat with your heart? Can you be unfaithful with your time? Do you agree with Worthington's Michael when he says to the sultry Mendes, whose dress is riding just a little high up her thigh, you can be happily married but still tempted? These are the questions and themes raised in this engrossing if slow-moving drama.

Joanna (Knightley) and Michael (Worthington) have been married only three years but doubts and insecurities are starting to creep in. During a party, Joanna notices Michael and his colleague Laura (Mendes) standing too close while having a quiet chat on the balcony. Quizzed about this later, Michael protests his innocence but his answers are not convincing. While he is away on a business trip to Philadelphia (with Laura!), Joanna bumps into an old flame, Alex (Canet), and they decide to meet up for dinner later that evening. As Joanna and Alex catch up, Michael and Laura share a quiet drink in a quiet bar…

This debut for writer-director Massy Tadjedin is a quiet, sleepy affair. Despite the marquee names, this is a borderline art-house drama and one might wonder where the subtitles are. It's slow, as Tadjedin wants to stop the world for ninety minutes and explore her themes with deftly constructed dialogue: there are no witty lines, no acerbic comebacks, no hip and cool back-and-forths. Tadjedin has an eye for real and instantly recognisable moments: Worthington's sly glance at Mendes' bum, hoping she's not attracted to him as he is to her because that means trouble (but it would be nice all the same). Then there's Knightley's choosing of the sexy underwear, hoping that Canet will say the right words to warrant their wearing, while at the same time being afraid of where that might lead.

There are moments, however, where Tadjedin anchors her honest and realist approach with some questionable scenes, which won't be delved into here for spoiler reasons, and these scenes threaten to derail the whole movie. The performances are fine without being memorable. Canet seems all too conscious of his killer smile and the effect it has on Knightley and it gets a little grating. Worthington, meanwhile, taking a break from being a Greek hero/Na'vi/Terminator, seems unaccustomed to serious roles and looks unsure throughout.

This won't be for everyone and those expecting a cute rom-com will not get their jollies here.