LAST NIGHT (Canadian)
A review by Mark R. Leeper in bullet-list form
from the Toronto Internation Film Festival
CAPSULE: The world will come to an end at midnight. Everyone knows it and must make a final peace with the last hours of their lives. This is an intelligent science fiction film with no special effects, just personalities and ideas. Rating: 8 (0 to 10), high +2 (-4 to +4)
- It is the last night of the planet and several different people are reacting each in their own way to the end. The film covers 6 PM to midnight. The main character is Patrick played by David McKellan who also wrote and directed. - Reminiscent of ON THE BEACH. But much more so of a story Richard Matheson wrote, "The Last Day." (P.S. On rereading the 1953 Matheson, this film is almost a loose adaptation of that story. The similarities may be mere coincidence, but they are numerous and they are very striking.) - US release may be problematical. The title is lackluster and non-memorable, though very appropriate when you know about the film. Also provincial Americans may not care about the end of the world coming to Toronto. They probably would feel it would not affect them. Perhaps a PBS release would be possible. - Patrick's family has declared it Christmas and are hurt that the (adult) children will not spend the whole evening with them. - Grocery stores mostly looted. It seems though that one of everything is left. - Some people continue business as usual, some want sex, some react with religion, some riot. Some people are in total denial. - Much comedy, much drama. - Very Canadian cast. - It does not get dark. It is just always daytime. - Radio playing "Last Night I Didn't Get to Sleep At All." How appropriate. - David Cronenberg as a kind of bland functionary manager at the gas company. Genvieve Bujold as French teacher visiting former student. - Science fiction film with no special effects, cost about two million dollars. - The person you have been thrown together with by chance becomes the most important person to you for the rest of your life. - Why would it be so precisely at midnight? What about other time zones? What is the nature of what is destroying the world?
Mark R. Leeper
mleeper@lucent.com
Copyright 1998 Mark R. Leeper
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