The Last Kiss
Zach Braff is slowly but surely setting himself up to be the voice of a generation. It doesn’t hurt that his first film was a modern day The Graduate. Inevitable when you read a review of The Last Kiss that you see mention of Garden State, but The Last Kiss isn’t the same movie. It’s a more grown up film about a group of people who are struggling with different stages of their relationships and with just being adults in general.
Michael (Zach Braff) is just about to turn thirty and he’s going to have a child with girlfriend, Jenna (Jacinda Barret). The idea that his life is over and now he has to settle down sends him into panic mode. While at a friends wedding, he meets Kim (Rachel Bilson) who is ten years his junior and by acting like it she gives him a little comfort. He then has to decide what he really wants.
For a film to be truly good it has to be in the script. The screenplay is the foundation for everything else to be built upon. You can make a bad movie out of a good script but you can’t make a good movie out of a bad one. I promise that won’t be the last time you hear me say that. That’s one of the main things Last Kiss has going for it. Most films wouldn’t be able to pull off such quality and believability with so many characters, but then again should we expect anything less from Paul Haggis?
As good as the screenplay is, it’s nothing without the cast to back it up and this one is just about as good as you can get. Tom Wilkinson and especially Blythe Danner are brilliant as a couple whose marriage has become nothing more than a comfortable routine. Zach Braff is great as the boyfriend of their daughter who realizes that he has in one single moment officially become an adult. Personally, I’m pleased to see another strong portrayal from Casey Affleck. Along with Lonesome Jim and other roles, he is really beginning to build quite an impressive body of work. I love the way he handles this character that is so beaten down by his marriage, but is reluctant to do anything about it.
It’s really nice just to see a film where people act they way they would in real life. They each deal with their problems or what they see as problems in their own way. Some just handle simply and quietly while others freak out and make huge scenes. The mistakes these people make never seem forced; they are either due a build up of emotion or just something stupid they did while caught up in a moment.
The Last Kiss will be looked at as a Zach Braff film, but that’s kind of a shame since it does a disservice to everyone else. It’s not the kind of trippy Wizard of Oz meets The Graduate that Garden State was, but it is a solid piece of work from everyone involved. Having said that, if Braff continues on this path with his films, there’s going to be a certain segment of the population that will continue to mature along with them. Everyone’s looking for the next Tom Hanks, but in this day of disposable of celebrities it seems unlikely we’ll find him. By endearing himself to this audience, Zach Braff may be the first candidate.
The Grade
- Story: A-
- Acting: A
- Visuals: B
- Originality: B
- Enjoyability: A
Overall: A-
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