disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

LAST CALL -- A Not-So-Gentle Exercise in Forced Profundity

11/24/2020

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
There is no denying that Dylan Thomas is one of the most brilliant poets of all time, and so a film about the final days of his life sounds like an interesting prospect. And while Last Call is a very unique movie, in trying to make something more ambitious and poetic, filmmaker Steven Bernstein loses track of what made his subject so notable in the first place.

The film tells a fictional version of the days preceding the death of Dylan Thomas, as he drinks heavily and recalls various events in his life. For better or worse, it is made pretty clear early on that this is not a literal biopic, but an interpretation of his life through the lens of his words and the body of work that he created.

One of the most obvious shortcomings of the movie is that it lacks an overall feeling of consistency. At times, it seems as if Bernstein is trying to present a more subjective view of Thomas’s life, and then there will be a scene that doesn’t involve Thomas at all. Other portions struggle to find a balance between expressive and grounded.

The narrative structure which Bernstein chooses to go with for the film is also messy and uneven. As is the case with many movies that take place in the final days of someone’s life, the story is reliant on flashbacks to paint a more comprehensive portrait of its subject, and because of this, the framing device ends up feeling like a gimmick.
Picture
It too often feels like Bernstein is trying to be profound with his film. Much of the power of Thomas’s work comes from the fact that his writing is very natural and meaningful. Bernstein’s script, on the other hand, tries to force meaning into conversations made up of dialogue that is wooden and overly literary.

That isn’t to say that the movie is entirely unsuccessful — there are more than a few scenes that work quite well. But for every moment that asks an intriguing question about some of the themes that Thomas explored in his work, there is one that is disappointingly shallow or even empty. 

Still, Bernstein does some interesting things with the film. The black-and-white cinematography is gorgeous and creates an atmosphere that immediately brings to mind beatnik culture. Additionally, the performances are all pretty strong. Rhys Ifans is good (albeit stagey) as the drained poet, and John Malkovich and Tony Hale are both memorable in their supporting parts.

Much of what makes Last Call so frustrating is the fact that its script is so indecisive. There are some great moments, but most of the movie can’t decide what it wants to be, and as a result, it begins to ramble.

Last Call opens in theaters on November 25.

Rating: 3/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About