The Last Word (2008/I)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Geoffrey Haley

Writer:

Geoffrey Haley (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A romantic comedy where opposites distract.

Plot:

A man (Bentley) who makes his living composing other people's suicide notes enters into a romance with the sister (Ryder) of a recent client.

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Wes Bentley	...	Evan
Winona Ryder	...	Charlotte
Ray Romano	...	Abel
Katherine Boecher	...	Clara
Brendan Miller	...	Brent
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Billingsley	...	Brady (unconfirmed)
Kurt Caceres	...	Sammy
Michael Cornacchia	...	Client
Paul Haasch	...	Matty
Gina Hecht	...	Hilde Morris
Edwin L. Marshall	...	Barfly
Mickey Mickey	...	Robin
Alison Moir	...	Susan
Kal Parekh	...	Club dancer
Allan Rich	...	Francis
Richard Riehle	...	Man at Gorge
Zef Shalaj	...	I-Pod Guy
A.J. Trauth	...	Greg
Sanny Van Heteren	...	Pony Girl

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

USA:90 min | Germany:90 min (European Film Market)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Bar 107 - 107 W. 4th Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Deviant Films

Goofs:

Continuity: When Shirley drops Evan home they talk a bit and we can see Evan wearing the safety belt, then we see Shirley, then Evan again but without the safety belt on. At the end of the conversation we see Evan with the safety belt on.

Soundtrack:

Wicked

Different

If you just want the same old romantic comedy, this movie is not for you. It's a bit dark, a bit weird, but totally entertaining. Fresh, surprising and not formulaic. This movie definitely has a bit of everything - some odd comic relief and some touching moments and some romance and even a few things to get you thinking.

I loved Wes Bentley in American Beauty and I rented this movie just for him. He did not disappoint - he's a little off-kilter, but in the best possible way. Perfect in the role of Evan - strange but endearing.

Winona Ryder, on the other hand, was miscast as Charlotte. I like her and think she's very talented, and I didn't think she ruined the movie. But she wasn't quite right either, and I think this would have worked even better than it did with someone else in her role.

But that's a minor complaint. If you're wondering whether to see this, go for it. You'll be glad that you did. I certainly was.