GROWING UP AND OUT OF LOVE

Approaching adulthood is difficult enough, but when love and relationships fall apart we get The Last Kiss, written by Tony Goldwyn, the writer of Crash.
D

The Last Kiss
Review by: Katie Royal

The Last Kiss hit theatres September 15.  It stars Zach Braff as Michael, a twenty-nine year old, about to turn thirty, who is afraid his life has become too predictable.

Like Garden State but Older

Immediately, the film takes the tone of Garden State, with its recognizable leading man playing a confused, older, goofy-but-lovable guy.  It even utilizes his voice-over in the beginning while explaining what he had imagined his life would be like at thirty.  It has all been planned out, and he laments, “There are no more surprises.” 

The story revolves around Michael and his friends and loved ones, and the trips they all take when thirty years start to wear on them.  There is a definite theme of feeling trapped in a situation (most often a relationship) that isn’t making you happy.  It gets interesting when each character decides to do something about it.

Character Analysis

The tagline boasts that “We all make choices. What’s yours?”  However, this film seems to be more about how its characters handle the choices they and those around them make.  It would appear, however, that little thought goes into the decision-making process of most characters. 

Michael and Jenna (Jacinda Barrett) are having a baby, unplanned.  Kenny (Eric Christian Olsen) and Danielle (Cindy Sampson) speak for only minutes before making out and returning to Kenny’s place for the evening.  Anna (Blythe Danner) packs her bags and leaves her husband Stephen (Tom Wilkinson) to live in a hotel, not sure where she will go next. 

It is not that these are astonishing things for the characters to do.  People make snap decisions all the time, unconcerned with the consequences.  That’s partly what made this movie realistic.

Realistic Stereotypes

Other elements of the film that made it realistic were the gender stereotypes of most of the characters and their reactions to the decisions of their loved ones.  Women feel wronged and they scream and cry.  They throw things and make ultimatums.  They say things they don’t really mean in the heat of the moment.  Men run away from their problems.  They sleep around.  They stare blankly at the walls without a clue of what to do next. 

While these stereotypes are bothersome and unflattering, it is a challenge to think of real people who don’t fit these molds perfectly.  Stereotypes are not usually the most solid background on which to build a character, but they work and seem believable in this movie.

Final Thoughts

The only part of the movie that breaks the barrier in this credible and somewhat heartbreaking film is the ending scene.  While it would be noble if people always did “what it takes” in a relationship, the conclusion to this film seems too Hollywood-esque for most real American couples. 

By the end of the film, it is difficult to care much about each of the characters and the way their relationships turn out.  Everyone seems unhappy and it appears that whether they make up or break up, it is of little consequence.  As Stephen informs Michael, “Every asshole in the world says he loves somebody.  It means nothing.”

Image taken from myspace.com/the last kiss