Caffeinated Clint
Can’t image there’d be too many aching for Zach Braff’s “Last Kiss”, but you know what? It ain’t as bad as it sounds. Moist, Effective and long lasting, it’s a cinematic snog that won’t leave you with a cold sore.
Zach Braff, Jacinda Barrett, Rachel Bilson, Casey Affleck, Blythe Danner, Tom Wilkinson, Eric Christian Olsen, Michael Weston, Harold Ramis
Can’t image there’d be too many aching for Zach Braff’s “Last Kiss”, but you know what? It ain’t as bad as it sounds. Moist, Effective and long lasting, it’s a cinematic snog that won’t leave you with a cold sore.
Directed by Tony Goldwyn (“A Walk on the Moon”), the ensemble – you’d think the way it was advertised it was merely a three-hander with Braff and the two females, Jacinda Barrett and Rachel Bilson – comedy/drama fixes on a group of interconnected people, all at different stages in their lives, who are questioning their relationships.
29-year-old Michael (Braff, of “Scrubs” fame) has just discovered he’s about to become a father. Despite being in a happy relationship with Jenna (Jacinda Barrett), he’s still confused and scared – and you can’t blame him, all around him is the evidence of break-ups, miserable couples and messy marriages – and it leads him to stray. His life will never be the same.
Throw in a young man (Casey Affleck) whose struggling to raise his newborn son because of the unhappy marriage he and his partner are stuck in, a husband and wife (Tom Wilkinson and Blythe Danner) in desperate need of a spark, and a buddy of Michael’s (Eric Christian Olsen) whose commitment-phobic– and there’s enough knotty wool to untangle by films end (or is it?).
Though it does have some good messages and most of it plays very ‘real’, the good stuff here lies within the performances, much more so than Paul Haggis’s somewhat off-kilter script – which is well, somewhat tilted, and a little under-written. Braff gets to do some pretty heavy stuff here; and though he never sways too far from ‘J.D’, he still proves he can handle the shift in genre. Better is Jacinda Barrett, who is absolutely beautiful and totally believable as his distraught girlfriend. Rachel Bilson (“The O.C”) is also convincing as the pint-sized sexpot with plans to help Michael flee from the trapped life he thinks he’s in.
A remake of the Italian film “L’Ultimo Bac”, “Kiss” isn’t a feel-good film by any means. In fact, in many ways it’s a tad pessimistic. But for playing it real, and not giving into fluffy film conventions, the movie is all the better for it. Sure, some are going to despite Braff’s character by the end of the film – because of what he does – but that’s the price Goldwyn’s prepared to pay to keep the film as credible as possible. I’ve gotta admit, I started to really dislike the guy too – how he could do what he did to such a wonderful girl; and the soon-to-be mother of his child – but as the film progresses, we slowly piece together why he’s done what he’s done. It ain’t right, but it’s clearer. And it’s true.
Pucker up to a film to a real relationship movie – something that offers as much heart as it does love lessons.
An excellent assortment of extras – damn wish they included a CD soundtrack with the film though; the music in this thing rocks! – includes a music video, dual commentaries, numerous featurettes, a gag reel and deleted scenes. Good to see that the studio still bothered putting together a nice DVD package for the film, especially considering they could’ve just cut their losses, especially after it belly-flopped at theatres.
Rating : 
Reviewer : Clint Morris
