The Last Kiss
Director: Tony Goldwyn
Release Date: Monday 30th November -0001
Genre(s): Drama
Running time: 115 minutes
Date movies for the 30+ audiences are usually tinged with a little cynicism, full of world-weary characters unhappy with the cards life has dealt them and Cupid shown up for the charlatan he is. Into this arena bounds The Last Kiss. Michael (Braff) and Jenna (Barrett) are an unmarried but seemingly-happy couple expecting their first child. Surrounded by family members and friends who are in various stages of their relationships - from youthful lust to uncompromising marriages - Michael and Jenna are the only steady ship in a sea of chaos. But then Michael meets college student Kim (Bilson) and they exchange numbers, sending Michael down a slippery slope of deceit, betrayal and lies. The Last Kiss, a remake of the Italian film L'Utimo Bacio, takes a dim look at love. Like this year's Prime and The Break Up, the writers are not interested in fairytale stories, escapism and happy endings, opting instead for real people in real situations. This set-up proves problematic for Braff - how can you sympathise with a character that cheats on his pregnant girlfriend? We don't, nor are we supposed to; but we are asked to concede that things like this happen every day and, if you're like me, you just might enjoy the freshness and bravery of a film like that. If there were more movies like The Last Kiss, movies that show what love is really about instead of the 'hooray-for-everything' romantic comedies that are thrown at us, then there would be less broken-hearted and disillusioned people out there.
