You’ve got your popcorn. You’ve settled nicely into your cushy seat in the tenth row back, selected because it is close enough for you to lose yourself in the film but far enough away to not put a crick in your neck. That perfect someone is nestled by your side, munching away on the exorbitantly priced buttery goodness that you can’t seem to avoid on any trip to the theater. As the lights go down and the screen flickers to life, your eyes meet . . . and a slow smile drifts across your face.
Sigh. Movie Date Night perfection achieved.
But suddenly you find yourself enmeshed in the midst of Tony Goldwyn’s The Last Kiss, utterly wrapped up in the struggling, failing, faltering relationships of four friends who are wondering if marriage and commitment go hand in hand with the end of all spontaneity and joy in their lives. Wait a minute. Where’s the fluff? Where is the sappy feel good-ness? Where is my simple, pat happy ending? Are they actually asking me to think here?
Yes. Yes they are.
Written by Oscar winner Paul Haggis, The Last Kiss revolves Michael, Chris, Izzy and Kenny – four almost 30 year olds who have had each others backs since the crazy and dangerous days of pre-school. Struggling with relationships, life and the approach of the big 3-0, the four are in the throes of early mid-life crisises . . . or is it crisis? I’m just not sure.
In this commentary on humanity disguised as a chick flick, Haggis fashions relatable, flawed characters and after placing them in a plethora of types and stages of relationships begs the audience up to take an honest and forthright look at the issue of commitment. Chris (Casey Affleck) is newly married, dealing with the complicating factor of a newborn and worn out wife. Izzy (Michael Weston) can’t seem to move on from a deteriorated relationship. Kenny (Eric Christian Olsen) is the king of casual sex. Lastly, Michael (Zach Braff) is in a loving relationship with his pregnant girlfriend, Jenna (Jacinda Barrett), but is terrified of the idea of commitment.
Acting on his repressed fears of future blandness, Michael begins an ill-thought out flirtation with a young, spontaneous and alluring brunette (Rachel Bilson). As his relationship with Jenna deteriorates, Michael looks to Jenna’s parents, Anna (Blythe Danner) and Stephen (Tom Wilkinson) whose 30 year marriage has gone through its share of highs, lows, break-ups and make-ups, to win her back.
Within the wide range of characters and relationships in this film, there is truly an entry point for each and every audience member. Whether you are the single girl who finds herself with a taken man, the guy who can’t seem to move on, the girl who feels wronged or the guy who feels trapped, you can find yourself in this movie. It is this entry point, this sense of relation to a character, that is an open and powerful invitation to learn, to experience, to explore your own thoughts about relationships and commitment through the actions and behaviors of very flawed, very human characters. This is very freeing. Very thought-provoking. Very enjoyable. And this takes The Last Kiss easily beyond the mold of “date movie.”
Zach Braff does a laudable job as the confused, troubled, scared Michael. But when his scenes move towards the deep recesses of emotion – I don’t believe him. It felt like it was merely lip service. But perhaps that lack of believability ties into the movie’s over all message delivered by Stephen (Tom Wilkinson) in one of the best scenes of the movie - “What you feel only matters to you. It's what you do to the people you love. That's what matters. That's the only thing that counts.”
Rachel Bilson doesn’t stretch too far from her O.C. roots in portraying the young and immature Kim. Bubbly? Check. Flirty? Check. Hopelessly high school and juvenile? Check. Still, her performance is exactly what it needs to be – aggressive, alluring and spontaneous enough to tempt Michael
Jacinda Barrett gives the “perfect” Jenna a good mix of the surreal and the flawed. Her alternately soft and subtly loving persona switches seamlessly with the hormonal and raging wronged mother to be. Her arrogant audacity to believe that within half an hour she had Michael completely figured out mixed with her genuine love for Michael creates a powerful tension between a desire to sympathize with her turmoil and to believe she gets what she deserved.
Ultimately, this movie asks its viewers to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty with the issue of commitment. Is it solely based off of love and emotions? Or is it a choice that you make and dedicate the rest of your existence to honoring? Is it possible to find a middle ground between those two seeming extremes? And how do you know when something is right? Can you know only after you’ve done the unthinkable and screwed up perfection – seemingly forever?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Perhaps there is something to the idea of “You can’t fail if you never give up” after all.
