Set on the last day of Earths existence, we see how a few people who become loosely connected spend their final hours. It is not explained what or why the world ending is happening, but it is mentioned people have known for months that it is coming. The city is a mess and there has been violence, looting and rioting all the way up to the end.
We meet Patrick who is having dinner at his parent’s place with extended members of his family, he leaves to go spend his final hours alone in his home. While preparing his last hours however he gets a knock on the door from Sandra.
Sandra who had been looking for items in the city as she plans to have an evening with her husband Duncan, who has for the last few weeks, maybe months has been calling all the customers of his energy company to thank them for their custom. However, her car is flipped over by a gang and knocks on Patrick randomly to use his phone to call her husband.
Unable to get a hold of her husband, which is later revealed to have been murdered when he hears a shot outside his home, Patrick helps Sandra to get a new car and goes to meet his friend Craig.
Craig has been spending the last moments in life having as much and varied sex as he could possibly have, one fantasy being an old schoolteacher of his and he also tries to offer Patrick a bit of fun as after tonight they will all cease to exist. Patrick refuses and takes the car to which he gives to Sandra.
In the last section of the film, Sandra does not get far in the car as she is stopped by protesters who damage the car and thus, she returns to Patrick’s home, knowing she will not make it in time to see her husband.
She reveals to Patrick that her plan with Duncan was to kill themselves before the end and shows him the two guns she has been carrying around with her. She asks Patrick to join her which he does after telling her more about himself to which it is revealed that to him the world for him ended months ago when his partner passed away.
The film ended with both Patrick and Sandra pointing guns at each other temples on the roof of Patrick's building, they lower their weapons and start to kiss while a white glow slowly grows over the screen into nothing....
Last Night is a great and I suppose not widely known film. I caught this film way back in 2003 maybe 2004 and only because channel 4 was showing it in the early hours, it took me a while to track down a DVD copy from what I remember.
Don McKellar who wrote and directed it also stars as Patrick; I believe this may have been his directorial debut for a full-length feature. I loved the pacing in the film, in that it does not seemed rushed as most end of the world type of films go. This may sound daft that I like how it is slightly slow when it is a film about the last few hours on earth and you would assume everyone would be going wild!
The bleakness of the ending is grim, where some films of the same genre may offer some hope for survival, this one does not. Even though you know how the outcome is as do the characters in the film, you do hope that Sandra would meet her husband and preferable before he is murdered.
It is worth tracking a copy down, though I have recently seen copies for sale for around £50/60 but that is for a UK copy on the Park Circus label (have seen one listed for $259.99!), though I guess it could possibly be uploaded on youtube to watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment