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3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Twice I thought it would get better. It didn't., 31 December 2002
Author: vchimpanzee from North Carolina

Martin Ryan is a Detroit newpaper columnist who writes about 'Scenes from Everyday Life.' Some of the subjects of his columns don't like what he writes, and one person has even gotten killed because of what Ryan wrote. Sarah is a stripper who agrees to be interviewed, but she doesn't like what Ryan writes. It doesn't matter, because they begin a romantic relationship, even though Ryan is married (if they showed Ryan's wife I don't remember; during the first half of the movie I couldn't figure out what was going on half the time). Doc is a former mobster who arranges to have a movie made based on the columns, and he, Ryan and Sarah go to Hollywood. There, Sarah meets an old friend, an Irish former stripper (Roma Downey), and we find out she has a past she didn't tell Ryan about. Ryan tries to Make sure Sarah's past won't be shown too negatively just to make the movie better, but Doc is in debt to some goons who have followed him, and he has to do what the producers want. I was looking forward to seeing more of Richard Dreyfuss, but that didn't happen. Also, when the time came to actually film the movie-within-a-movie, we met Cybill Shepherd, who played the actress who played Sarah. She was surely going to add more. And Jimmy Smits played the actor doing Ryan's part, but we never saw him except when he was playing Ryan. Just when it seemed there was a lot more to accomplish, the movie suddenly ended. Sarah liked painting, so the movie may appeal to those who like art that doesn't actually look like what it depicts. Fans of the music of Toni Childs (whoever that is) may also like the movie. There is some good stunt work in flashbacks, if you like seeing a man set on fire. Personally, I just didn't see that this movie reached its potential.

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Strange, 20 December 2004
4/10
Author: ctomvelu from usa

A rather strange, slow-moving story about a writer (Hutton) working on a screenplay based on the exploits of a stripper (Burke) he has fallen for. There's more going on behind the scenes, involving his financially desperate buddy (Joe P.) who needs the screenplay written or his kneecaps may be forfeit. But in the end this plot goes nowhere in particular. I'm not at all sure why this was made. I certainly wouldn't have greenlighted it, except maybe as a Skinemax midnight movie with the addition of a lot more skin showing. Burke is reasonably sultry as the tell-all bad girl, who is perhaps a bit too attractive to be who she claims, and Hutton is his usual befuddled self. Not that there's anything wrong with that. He plays befuddled well. In fact, if you look up the word in the dictionary, you will see his face next to it. But the story here all goes for naught. The climax is -- shall we say -- anticlimactic. You may safely skip it.

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Don't overlook this one, 19 March 2000
Author: danielledarcell from US

Don't miss this one. It has a behind the scenes of Hollywood storyline, celebrity cameos, mob action, beautiful music, threatened friendships, but what makes it a must see is the love story between Timothy Hutton and Michelle Burke (Dazed and Confused). They fall helplessly in love despite the fact that he is recently separated from his wife, and she is a stripper with a dark past. It's no masterpiece by any means, but interesting entertainment and a good love story with a realistic ending.

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1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
One long set up to a punchline which never comes., 22 August 2004
Author: padzok

This movie is sold to you as a gangster flick. Don't believe it!

You are also told to expect Richard Dreyfuss and Chazz Palminteri. Well, they give you one scene each!

There is the merest glimmer of a good film hidden deep in the recesses of "The Last Word" (mis-sold in the UK under the title "Cosa Nostra" - believe me, there is no Mafia action).

A writer is torn. His friend/agent and his movie studio want him to use the most powerful true stories from his newspaper column. If he does not then the film might not get made. His friend may lose his kneecaps (or more) due to financial problems, and the writer may never make it.

The dilemma is that the stories were told to him by his girlfriend. It was not in confidence at the time, but now she does not want him to write about her. And if she cannot trust him not to do so, then she cannot tell him the rest of her secrets.

In a good movie, the set up I have described could have been accomplished in 30 or 40 minutes, leaving an hour or so for the writer to make his agonising choice.

In this very poor movie, the set up takes 80 minutes, and the agonising choice about 45 seconds.

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1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
despising Hollywood, 23 July 2003
10/10
Author: darcy_track

First of all, I love kinda movies like this one and I consider myself lucky of having watched it last weekend in my former girlfriend's flat because she has always been a b-movies freak and so."The last word" is for me a deep story about cranks, a worn femme-fatale and the dummies of Hollywood.The resentful and witty character of Doc, a close friend of the main character that Timothy Hutton hides more than shows, stands out in a so powerful way that at the end, you realize that you was taken in about him.The girl is beautiful and confused -Michelle Burke acts sensitive and finally splendid compounding her Sara/Caprice character.Althought Hutton triumphs in his mission revealing the ambiguous talented guy, corrupted gleefully by Hollywood, Joe Pantoliano -incredible actor- offers a new dimension sticking behind Hutton every time he appears in scene, stealing the whole film. He is the ultimate anti-hero and villain, slave of his own contradictions, master in dupe business, putting up with his proper suffering, rejected by the woman of his partner(probably Sara is also the woman of his dreams)in this game of personality mirrors which deserves a warm and cautious approaching as well as passionate comprehension.

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2 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Underrated Writer's Drama, 12 August 2000
6/10
Author: phred22 from Outside Washington, DC

This is not quite the thriller it appears to be in plot summary. While there is some violence and more sex and romance, this is more about Timothy Hutton's ethical choices as a writer. As such, it has some very good moments and fine acting by Hutton, Burke and Pantoliano. The pace is rather slow at first and you may find the ending disappointing, especially if you're looking for shocking revelations. But it's worth seeing.

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1 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
great vision, 31 March 2003
10/10
Author: ELENA GONZALVO (GonzalvoElen@netscape.net) from Zaragoza, Spain

It´s a fantastic vision of Hollywood's backstage,painful elationships,violence,and different points of view from the three main characters: Timothy Hutton, Michelle Burke and the great dark character that Joe Pantoliano develops here. A mad function that celebrates confusion of life and cinema, not even a bit of fun in the middle of the way.

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0 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Possibly the most boring movie I have ever seen, 4 June 2007
1/10
Author: OllieSuave-007 from Sacramento, California USA

This movie, starring Michelle Burke of "Little Men" TV series, is about a journalist with connections to the mob who falls for a stripper with a dark past. His best friend then drags him to L.A. with the intent of becoming actors.

The movie sounds like an interesting story, but the plot just drags on and on and on with no ending it sight. There is lack of emotion, suspense and intrigue-no surprises and no twists. What is strange about this movie is that we have big stars like Cybill Shepherd, Richard Dreyfuss and Jimmy Smits appear as extras in the movie, next to lesser known actors who are the leads. Plus, the movie poster depicts Dreyfuss's picture as the largest, yet, he only has about 4 min of screen time.

I was bored one night and decided to watch this film, as I enjoy watching some TV works by Michelle Burke and Roma Downey of "Touched by an Angel" TV series; they both appear in this movie. But, this movie sure hits rock bottom. Just plain mediocre and boring.

So, if you want to watch this movie, drink lots of coffee. This movie nearly put me to sleep.

Grade F

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