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!
