Review of The Last Word

Taking a Leap with Geoff Haley’s The Last Word

“Cheese is milk’s leap toward immortality.”* So quotes Evan (Wes Bentley), a writer who’s found a unique, if morbid, way to combat the starving artist syndrome. Just such a leap is the impetus through Geoff Haley’s premier feature film, The Last Word, in which Evan, his love interest, Charlotte (Wynona Ryder), and a string of Evan’s clients hover on the edge of their own precipices. Only, in a lovely juxtaposition (that shows directorial maturity and control) the film doesn’t catapult with a rush of strangling wind through their dysfunctions and relationships; rather, it glides along as if with the aid of a chute … maybe. Three lives float through this dark and extremely intelligent romantic comedy as Haley tackles a tragic, serious subject matter—suicide—with laugh-out-loud humor and subtle, honest empathy. The Last Word touches on secrets, honesty, and the power of connection—classic themes for a dark romance—with an understated freshness and charm. Ray Romano’s portrayal of the third of these “leaping” characters, a failed symphonic composer who is gifted and crude, deeply troubled and refreshingly honest in his search for the truth of life’s meaning is one of the film’s strong points. With wisdom, Romano finds the character’s heart. We fall in love with the character, even as he talks of popping a boner in the peanut butter aisle at the grocery store and engages in a pastime that … well, let’s just say, pits him against the helpless. In a question-and-answer series at Park City’s Sundance, Haley noted he views LA as almost a character in itself. To me, it was the muted lighting and colors that underscore most of the film, evocative perhaps of the city’s haze, that was the fourth in this twisted trio. Subtlety, a stuffed giraffe, and well-written dialogue propel the film to its moment of release, where the contrasting setting and lighting of the final scene take us back to the edge, and we learn if one of the characters will make that tragic leap. ___________ *Clifton Fadiman

Posted on 01/23/08 by: hollystarley 12:37 PM