Much as I am a sucker for movies with good soundtracks, the real reason I wanted to pick up the DVD for this movie, 'Last Kiss' was the whole plot surrounding the big ‘3-0(h)’ crisis. True, it’s probably NOT the most original of concepts (It’s also adapted from an Italian movie called ‘L’Ultimo Bacio’) – The protagonist is fast approaching his 30th birthday, has a job that he is good at, has a girlfriend who just seems perfect in more ways than one and is going to have a baby with her. It’s sort of like the ideal situation that he has always wanted to be in when he hits the 30 mark. But of course, not all is fine. The fact that life seems too programmed and planned out is a little too scary for him. There doesn’t seem to be any lofty surprises in store in the future too. So he chokes, acts on the first temptation that comes his way and then everything comes crashing down hard.
So what’s interesting about a ‘rosy-life-suddenly-turns-sour’ story, you ask? Well, for one – the movie is a mere instrument to tell the story, as it is. It’s completely brazen in its honesty. While the story unfolds with the choices that the protagonist makes and the repercussions that it has on his relationship with his girlfriend, it does not falter into taking sides and getting into an unnecessary imbroglio of pity-induced patronage of the victim and unabated bashing of the wrongdoer. There’s no good vs. evil spin here and most of the characters are in some sort of fix when it comes to their relationships. All due credit needs to be given to the right casting choices as well. Zach Braff is just right for the role of the guy who is thrown into the throngs of confusion by how well life has worked out and how not very happy he is with that situation. Even though he visibly screws up by sleeping with a college girl, he does not immediately end up becoming hate-worthy in the eyes of the audience.
The movie just brought back the thoughts that I have always had about relationships. After being in one for close to four years now, I have come around to accepting one thing - ultimately you cannot escape that one truth about relationships– More often than not, it does not come easy. Sometimes, you just can’t expect it to assume its natural course. It does not all fall into place and you have to work very hard at it. Especially if you are one who has always lived life on your own terms, there will be times when your priorities, desires, ambitions and even inhibitions INDIVIDUALLY would threaten to gain more importance over the pathway that both of you have laid out for each other as a couple. When it comes down to a collision path such as that, I guess compromise works. But then again, I do believe the answer is finally lies in – well, the choices you make. Sometimes they are hard, sometimes they are plain friggin’ obvious. But heck, one way or the other, you have ‘em!
So what’s interesting about a ‘rosy-life-suddenly-turns-sour’ story, you ask? Well, for one – the movie is a mere instrument to tell the story, as it is. It’s completely brazen in its honesty. While the story unfolds with the choices that the protagonist makes and the repercussions that it has on his relationship with his girlfriend, it does not falter into taking sides and getting into an unnecessary imbroglio of pity-induced patronage of the victim and unabated bashing of the wrongdoer. There’s no good vs. evil spin here and most of the characters are in some sort of fix when it comes to their relationships. All due credit needs to be given to the right casting choices as well. Zach Braff is just right for the role of the guy who is thrown into the throngs of confusion by how well life has worked out and how not very happy he is with that situation. Even though he visibly screws up by sleeping with a college girl, he does not immediately end up becoming hate-worthy in the eyes of the audience.
The movie just brought back the thoughts that I have always had about relationships. After being in one for close to four years now, I have come around to accepting one thing - ultimately you cannot escape that one truth about relationships– More often than not, it does not come easy. Sometimes, you just can’t expect it to assume its natural course. It does not all fall into place and you have to work very hard at it. Especially if you are one who has always lived life on your own terms, there will be times when your priorities, desires, ambitions and even inhibitions INDIVIDUALLY would threaten to gain more importance over the pathway that both of you have laid out for each other as a couple. When it comes down to a collision path such as that, I guess compromise works. But then again, I do believe the answer is finally lies in – well, the choices you make. Sometimes they are hard, sometimes they are plain friggin’ obvious. But heck, one way or the other, you have ‘em!
4 comments:
Two things: One, I am no movie buff (haven't even heard of the film you are talking about). Two, I do not generally get a kick out of criticising. Anyone.
Now let's look at your 'review' (came to your blog through a couple of links, so... you got to either forgive me or delete this one from your comments section))
# “for one – the movie is a mere instrument to tell the story, as it is.” Isn't all film just that? Even the bad ones? A movie tells a story “as it is”. Period. The story could be told well or in a sloppy, maudlin way.
# “It’s completely brazen in its honesty.” I take your word on it.
# “While the story unfolds with the choices that the protagonist makes and the repercussions that it has on his relationship with his girlfriend, it does not falter into taking sides...” No film, not even the worst alleged film from the Mahesh Bhatt camp, takes sides while showing a romance between two people. It would be docu-drama otherwise. Plus, it would be fatally wrong on part of the filmmaker: vis-a-vis the subject at hand, and the way a story is being projected to the audience.
# “...getting into an unnecessary imbroglio of pity-induced patronage of the victim and unabated bashing of the wrongdoer.” So, are you trying to say there is a 'victim' and 'wrongdoer' in this film? That defeats the whole purpose of the “brazen honesty”, does it not?
# “There’s no good vs. evil spin here...” Tell me a romantic film where there is one.
# “...and most of the characters are in some sort of fix when it comes to their relationships.” Again true of all films. Characters have got to be in a fix because no relationship comes in black and white. And the 'in a fix' bit comes as a free gift the moment we enter the grayish territory. Does it not?
As for the rest, I would not want to comment on your personal ideas of relationship. No hard feelings, by the way. Just pointing out a few random thoughts.
Write more. To write better. Ciao.
Right! So then...
A question for you, Shantanu..When was it called a 'review' or even a 'critique'? Can't someone pen a couple of thoughts down without being hinted as one who gets a 'kick out of criticizing'?
#1: Ever heard of the line..'there are two (or in some cases umpteen) sides to a story'? Now can one side of any story, however lopsided it might be, also be the subject matter for some movies? The point of that line was the fact this story just told as it is, without taking sides.
#2: Good. You could pick up the DVD too, y'know!
#3: Err...Read the sentence in toto and you would see it is just reiterating the point made about honesty. And yes - there are moral standpoints that are prevalent in the society which have given rise to notions on the concepts of a 'victim' and a 'wrongdoer', atleast when it comes to infidelity. Again, not stating that this is my opinion, but can't deny that such categorizations are very much there.
#4: Again, when was it called a 'romantic' film? It's a movie with central themes on confusions, temptations and infidelity among other things, IMO. In any case, the reactions that the actions of Glenn Close induced in the audience, in large parts of 'Fatal Attraction' were defintely not that of appreciation, were they?
#5. I should have elaborated on this point more. In 'Last Kiss', not only is the relationship of the main couple falling apart, that of most of their friend and parents are going through rough weather too. Am sure you would have come across movies with patronizing parents and overbearing friends, who always seem to have an opinion on how to make relationships work. This is not one of those films. And about your point about relationships - totally agree and in fact was indicating the same thing.
The movie was just a background to my thoughts on relationships, which was the real intention of writing a post in any case.
Oh yeah, if your comments were random thoughts - thanks for them. If they were intended as criticism, well - thanks again, but guess you didn't get a kick out of it!
as discussed...sometimes you do not choose...the choice chooses you....just keep on doing what you are doing...
Didn't really like the soundtrack all that much, and I found the movie a bit too chaotic the first time I saw it. Chaotic but intriguing. The second time I saw it, I liked it, quite a bit.
I would have hoped for a better soundtrack though. Didn't see it fitting all too well with the storyline.
Saw any good movies lately?
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