My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing the premiere of "Last Night" with auteur Don McKellar himself presenting the film at the Toronto Film Festival in a humble and appreciative manner. An appropriate choice as the film showcases many scenes in the streets of Toronto. It's always a small thrill when watching a film that was shot on the street where you work or somewhere familiar.
The reception for the film was extremely positive, but I guess it's fair to say that the audience was fairly biased. Nevertheless, it portrayed with equal amounts of seriousness and black humour the nature of humanity as it might act in the last hours of civilization as we know it. No fanfare, no 'splosions & lasers, no asteroids plummeting from the sky, no glossy veneer, in essence, a breath of fresh air.
Part of what made "Armageddon" so unbearable to sit through was it's choppy editing and utter refusal to sit in one place for a moment and see how events affected those involved. The filmmakers were more interested in the number of action sequences rather than focusing on the story. Quite simply, compared to "Last Night", "Armageddon" just seems like a multi-million dollar joke of a movie. I'm sure all those involved in it were amply compensated financially, but at what cost to their credibility?
"Deep Impact", another end-of-the-world epic, on the other hand, had a far stronger story element, whose only weakness can be found in the contrived youthful love story that defies interest on many levels. To its credit, "Deep Impact" features Morgan Freeman, who is a stunningly gifted actor who brings depth and credibility to everything I've seen him in. But "Deep Impact" is in it's heart, another action flick, and therefore not in the same category as "Last Night".
"Last Night" dares to delve into areas of the human psyche that neither of the other two films explore: Denial. Insanity. Lust. Loneliness. Suicidal tendencies. Embracing nihilistic impulses. Utter chaos. Depression. Compulsion. You know, the finer things in life, the magic stuff of huge box office receipts. I guess it's fair to say that this film is not an upbeat, life affirming experience that is geared towards everyone.
"Last Night" tackles an age old prophecy, the end of mankind, with an entirely fresh and innovative approach. It doesn't treat the viewer like a child that needs to have everything explained in detail. It really doesn't matter why or how the world is ending when nothing can be done about it anymore, now does it? The film's "fade to white" at the end stands as a perfect example of the ingenuity exercised.
Without question, this film is more thought provoking and engaging than either of the other two aforementioned efforts. Given it's low budget and Canadian affiliation, it's also unlikely to reach the kind of audience that "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon" enjoyed on their opening weekends. You've really got to hunt for the gems sometimes.
The reception for the film was extremely positive, but I guess it's fair to say that the audience was fairly biased. Nevertheless, it portrayed with equal amounts of seriousness and black humour the nature of humanity as it might act in the last hours of civilization as we know it. No fanfare, no 'splosions & lasers, no asteroids plummeting from the sky, no glossy veneer, in essence, a breath of fresh air.
Part of what made "Armageddon" so unbearable to sit through was it's choppy editing and utter refusal to sit in one place for a moment and see how events affected those involved. The filmmakers were more interested in the number of action sequences rather than focusing on the story. Quite simply, compared to "Last Night", "Armageddon" just seems like a multi-million dollar joke of a movie. I'm sure all those involved in it were amply compensated financially, but at what cost to their credibility?
"Deep Impact", another end-of-the-world epic, on the other hand, had a far stronger story element, whose only weakness can be found in the contrived youthful love story that defies interest on many levels. To its credit, "Deep Impact" features Morgan Freeman, who is a stunningly gifted actor who brings depth and credibility to everything I've seen him in. But "Deep Impact" is in it's heart, another action flick, and therefore not in the same category as "Last Night".
"Last Night" dares to delve into areas of the human psyche that neither of the other two films explore: Denial. Insanity. Lust. Loneliness. Suicidal tendencies. Embracing nihilistic impulses. Utter chaos. Depression. Compulsion. You know, the finer things in life, the magic stuff of huge box office receipts. I guess it's fair to say that this film is not an upbeat, life affirming experience that is geared towards everyone.
"Last Night" tackles an age old prophecy, the end of mankind, with an entirely fresh and innovative approach. It doesn't treat the viewer like a child that needs to have everything explained in detail. It really doesn't matter why or how the world is ending when nothing can be done about it anymore, now does it? The film's "fade to white" at the end stands as a perfect example of the ingenuity exercised.
Without question, this film is more thought provoking and engaging than either of the other two aforementioned efforts. Given it's low budget and Canadian affiliation, it's also unlikely to reach the kind of audience that "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon" enjoyed on their opening weekends. You've really got to hunt for the gems sometimes.