Movie Review: "Last Night"

Last Night

Directed by: Massy Tadjedin
Starring: Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Guilluame Canet, and Eva Mendes
Rated: R for some language

Massy Tadjedin's debut film Last Night is yet another attempt at a personal and intimate take on a struggling relationship. The film is valiant, not letting plot or crafty visuals get in the weight of the heavy subject, giving us a toned down, more theatrical than cinematic film. While I praise the films' attempt (and it's overall relatively tame content), the execution falls short. Tadjedin does not understand the underlining complexity of the Mike Leigh-esque relationship drama. While the actors certainly aren't bad, none of them truly understand their characters, leaving the audience even more perplexed at what is happening on screen (with the exception of Guilluame Canet, who is breath of fresh air in the film.) But, perhaps the worst of part is how the film really fails to bring any commentary or theme to it's subject. The beauty of a good relationship drama (like Blue Valentine) is how much it brings to the table in the discussion. The bad ones lie or turn to cliches. Last Night does neither, leaving you with very little to walk away or discuss. While far from a bad film, Last Night feels more like a an ill-fated attempt of something deep that fails to say anything at all

Watch the trailer here: