i never realized how beautiful a song Guantanamera was, until i heard it in this movie. Whenever i hum the tune nowadays, i can't help but think of Last Night(and the last scene). Ihighly recommend seeing Miracle Mile, after you've see Last Night. It is as close to an American version of this film as you are ever going to see. It is almost just as good. In my opinion, the best line in the movie comes when the old woman makes the very politially incorrect statement, that she tired of hearing about the children,because they are too young to miss anything. If the world weren't ending in a few minutes, you know she wouldn't be exposing her true feelings. I loved this film, beginning to end.
155 Reviews
Impressive tale of love in a time of universal ruin
howie7331 December 2004
Don Mckellar's direction is outstanding in this typically edgy yet slyly romantic Canadian offering. Taking place during the last night on earth, the film expertly follows the lives of a group of people all of whom are dealing with the end of the world in their own inimitable ways. Yes, this is not something original but somehow Mckellar (who also acts in the the film) has fashioned a very watchable tale whose power lies in what we know is going to happen rather than how we get there. With a touch of off-beat Canadian humor the mundane and the surreal are often counterpointed to provide some dark humor, but the film's visual wit and wonderful use of music adds another eerie dimension. Mckellar never tells why the earth is coming to an end but there are enough 'bright' clues to satisfy the curious. It's a shame this film hasn't had more exposure. Perhaps its detached, deadpan wit was too Canadian for many.
Flawed, but beautiful; on my shortlist
ajmilne5 June 2003
Don McKellar's less pretentious works (here, I exempt the Red Violin, of which I am not particularly fond) always seem to deliver what I need, if not quite what I want. There's always *something* about each work that bugs me a bit; but like the bit of gravel in your hiking boots that makes the trek that little bit more memorable, that little bit more real, I always wonder: would I really have been happier without it?
Last Night -- a subtle, oddly serene film about the world ending, not quite with a bang, not quite with a whimper -- but with a gently rueful, and very human, shrug -- is typical, in this regard. I more than merely like this film -- I believe I'd put it among my top ten favourite works, and I've seen a *lot* of movies -- but as a matter of honesty, I have to warn anyone who hasn't seen it yet, it does have more than a few rough edges.
The acting's a bit uneven, and ranges from borderline painful to actually stunning; I find the occasionally hysterical mother played by Roberta Maxwell painfully cliched. Bujold, on the other hand, you just have to see. Oh is memorable, surprisingly powerful. McMullen I still can't make my mind up about. McKellar is, well, McKellar. I can't help liking the character, even if it does seem a manipulative kinda setup that makes it so.
The script does amble a bit. It's kinda the nature of the story. And McKellar's fondness for clever, throwaway lines sometimes gets the best of him, in my view, both in his own part and in McMullen's.
But these are minor flaws, forgivable (or, as above, perhaps necessary), in an otherwise actually brilliant piece of work.
And overall, the writing, I have to say, is the best I've seen from McKellar yet. This a very delicately balanced script, marvelously restrained. Somehow, McKellar has made a movie in which regret, euphoria, and dread circle each other warily for an hour and a half, without melodrama once rising up out of the mix. There are believable moments of hysteria; they generally punctuate the prevailing current of reflection, resignation, and quiet desperation entirely believably and appropriately.
The ending... I'm not breathing a word about the ending.
Apart from this: it's flawless.
My vote: see it.
Last Night -- a subtle, oddly serene film about the world ending, not quite with a bang, not quite with a whimper -- but with a gently rueful, and very human, shrug -- is typical, in this regard. I more than merely like this film -- I believe I'd put it among my top ten favourite works, and I've seen a *lot* of movies -- but as a matter of honesty, I have to warn anyone who hasn't seen it yet, it does have more than a few rough edges.
The acting's a bit uneven, and ranges from borderline painful to actually stunning; I find the occasionally hysterical mother played by Roberta Maxwell painfully cliched. Bujold, on the other hand, you just have to see. Oh is memorable, surprisingly powerful. McMullen I still can't make my mind up about. McKellar is, well, McKellar. I can't help liking the character, even if it does seem a manipulative kinda setup that makes it so.
The script does amble a bit. It's kinda the nature of the story. And McKellar's fondness for clever, throwaway lines sometimes gets the best of him, in my view, both in his own part and in McMullen's.
But these are minor flaws, forgivable (or, as above, perhaps necessary), in an otherwise actually brilliant piece of work.
And overall, the writing, I have to say, is the best I've seen from McKellar yet. This a very delicately balanced script, marvelously restrained. Somehow, McKellar has made a movie in which regret, euphoria, and dread circle each other warily for an hour and a half, without melodrama once rising up out of the mix. There are believable moments of hysteria; they generally punctuate the prevailing current of reflection, resignation, and quiet desperation entirely believably and appropriately.
The ending... I'm not breathing a word about the ending.
Apart from this: it's flawless.
My vote: see it.
Moving, intriguing, and credible
Arkaan2 July 2000
I have seen this film twice, and believe that it is certainly one of the best films of 1998. One person brought that people wouldn't be violent on the day when the world ends, but come together in a type of philosophical togetherness. I was stunned by that idea, assuming that the cynicism that permeates today's culture would have enforced that idea, that violence will be around. The end of the world is a violent thought, as exemplified in films such as Armageddon and Deep Impact (true, they were stupid films). But that aside, Last Night is a powerful and very introspective look at the lives of several people who's lives happen to be interwoven on the last day of the world. It begs the question "what would you do with the final six hours". Many have remarked on the tone, and I have to heap more praise on the subtle irony that is found throughout the film. Why is the world ending? The audience doesn't find out. Whether one's appreciation of the film diminishes or grows for this ambitious step is purely personal. For a ninety minute film, it's ambition in depicting six lives is interesting, and it's only mistake. For the movie to do justice to all the characters, it needed to be at least half an hour longer. But that singular flaw does not negate the film's final achievement.
The entire cast is sensational, even if they're on for short periods of time. Rennie and Oh took home well deserved Genie awards for their brilliant performances, but I felt McKellar's performance was the most intriguing. He has a talent for not poignant drama, but scenes of almost deadpan-type comedy (where Sandra asks him the favour).
Don McKellar has got to be among the most versatile writers around. After writing Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, the fragmented biopic about the famous pianist, and The Red Violin, another slightly fragmented story told through and about a violin, he wrote, directed, and starred in Last Night, and apocalyptic dramedy (or an ironic tragicomedy), and he does it with supreme style. Last Night is a film not to be missed, but to be pondered over and savoured.
The entire cast is sensational, even if they're on for short periods of time. Rennie and Oh took home well deserved Genie awards for their brilliant performances, but I felt McKellar's performance was the most intriguing. He has a talent for not poignant drama, but scenes of almost deadpan-type comedy (where Sandra asks him the favour).
Don McKellar has got to be among the most versatile writers around. After writing Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, the fragmented biopic about the famous pianist, and The Red Violin, another slightly fragmented story told through and about a violin, he wrote, directed, and starred in Last Night, and apocalyptic dramedy (or an ironic tragicomedy), and he does it with supreme style. Last Night is a film not to be missed, but to be pondered over and savoured.
A disappointment.
gridoon30 July 2003
Don McKellar tackles an unimaginably difficult and thought-provoking subject matter here - too bad this shallow, sombre and often dull film doesn't do it justice. It does have some funny and poignant moments (as well as some that are both funny and poignant at the same time - a man says to his friend "See you later" and the other guy responds "No you won't"), but ultimately there are no real revelations, nothing you couldn't come up with yourself, without seeing the movie. When the highest compliment that people pay to a movie in the vast majority of the reviews here is "There are no special effects", you know you're in trouble. (**)
Apocalypse on a human scale
Adrian Sweeney18 November 2005
The world is going to end at midnight; it's six pm now. The impending catastrophe has been known about for months but nothing can be done about it.
Government has been wound down. There's a certain amount of mayhem, looting, and bloodshed in the streets, but most of that ended weeks ago; now people are just quietly resigned. The nature of the disaster is never specified or even mentioned, but cleverly hinted at. Sooner or later you'll suddenly realise what it must be to do with, and when you do it's a breath-catching moment. Once you notice this, the closest thing the film has to a big special effect, it becomes increasingly appalling as time goes on.
There are to be no last-minute attempts to save the earth. They were known to be futile before the film begins. Instead, people calmly make preparations for their last night alive. It's a bit like wanting to do something special for your birthday. Craig (Callum Keith Rennie) is living out the four-letter answer most people would give if asked 'What would you do if the world was about to end' - as he has been, methodically and systematically, for the past few weeks. Sandra (Sandra Oh) is trying to get across the chaotic city to her beloved husband. Patrick (Don McKellar, who also wrote and directed, brilliantly) attends a last family meal and plans a quiet evening alone with a Pete Seeger record. Almost everyone else is heading downtown for the big end of the world party.
Flashes of black humour help make things bearable, but I can't convey how genuinely chilling and terribly moving the film becomes before the end. Pre-millennium there were a handful of end-of-the-world films, most based around big-budget special effects. For a grumpy misanthropist such as myself, who officially couldn't care if the world was to end, even a blockbuster disaster movie like Deep Impact was a salutary experience, making me realise that I really, really don't mean that, and that for all its travails and miseries life is precious. But by excluding special effects and scientific explanations, and precluding the possibility of averting the end, and focusing entirely on the human, Last Night is far, far better and left me drained and devastated.
I almost prefaced these remarks with a 'Don't watch this alone' but decided, nah, other people can be a pain when you're trying to watch a film. But if you watch it alone and late at night as I did, be warned that after the end you may feel a strong urge to make contact with one of those annoying other people, at 2 in the morning, a friend, a relative, your milkman, anyone.
But watch this you must, for it's a great cinematic work of art.
Government has been wound down. There's a certain amount of mayhem, looting, and bloodshed in the streets, but most of that ended weeks ago; now people are just quietly resigned. The nature of the disaster is never specified or even mentioned, but cleverly hinted at. Sooner or later you'll suddenly realise what it must be to do with, and when you do it's a breath-catching moment. Once you notice this, the closest thing the film has to a big special effect, it becomes increasingly appalling as time goes on.
There are to be no last-minute attempts to save the earth. They were known to be futile before the film begins. Instead, people calmly make preparations for their last night alive. It's a bit like wanting to do something special for your birthday. Craig (Callum Keith Rennie) is living out the four-letter answer most people would give if asked 'What would you do if the world was about to end' - as he has been, methodically and systematically, for the past few weeks. Sandra (Sandra Oh) is trying to get across the chaotic city to her beloved husband. Patrick (Don McKellar, who also wrote and directed, brilliantly) attends a last family meal and plans a quiet evening alone with a Pete Seeger record. Almost everyone else is heading downtown for the big end of the world party.
Flashes of black humour help make things bearable, but I can't convey how genuinely chilling and terribly moving the film becomes before the end. Pre-millennium there were a handful of end-of-the-world films, most based around big-budget special effects. For a grumpy misanthropist such as myself, who officially couldn't care if the world was to end, even a blockbuster disaster movie like Deep Impact was a salutary experience, making me realise that I really, really don't mean that, and that for all its travails and miseries life is precious. But by excluding special effects and scientific explanations, and precluding the possibility of averting the end, and focusing entirely on the human, Last Night is far, far better and left me drained and devastated.
I almost prefaced these remarks with a 'Don't watch this alone' but decided, nah, other people can be a pain when you're trying to watch a film. But if you watch it alone and late at night as I did, be warned that after the end you may feel a strong urge to make contact with one of those annoying other people, at 2 in the morning, a friend, a relative, your milkman, anyone.
But watch this you must, for it's a great cinematic work of art.
different kind of apocalypses movie
SnoopyStyle10 November 2015
It's the last night on Earth. There are six hours left before an unknown calamity. Patrick Wheeler (Don McKellar) wants to be alone for the event but he has to go to a family dinner first. Sandra (Sandra Oh) is going home but her car gets trashed. Craig Zwiller (Callum Keith Rennie) has a series of women come over to his apartment.
I think the movie needs to concentrate on McKellar and Oh. It would be more compelling to make this a buddy road movie. They could go to Wheeler family dinner, meet the various characters and go back to his apartment. I don't think Zwiller's story is that compelling. The other characters add some quirkiness but none of them are that compelling. It would be better to make these actors support the McKellar Oh story. This is an interesting different kind of apocalypses movie but I only enjoy parts of it.
I think the movie needs to concentrate on McKellar and Oh. It would be more compelling to make this a buddy road movie. They could go to Wheeler family dinner, meet the various characters and go back to his apartment. I don't think Zwiller's story is that compelling. The other characters add some quirkiness but none of them are that compelling. It would be better to make these actors support the McKellar Oh story. This is an interesting different kind of apocalypses movie but I only enjoy parts of it.
I joined IMDb to write this
jay-4537 November 2004
There are films that are great, but by virtue of their intelligence and understatement fall through the cracks - or go on over the years to achieve 'cult' status. Paul Auster's 'Smoke', or Thomas McCarthy's 'The Station Agent' are a couple. This is such a film, and for fans of these types of 'smarter', less 'hollywood' productions there is no greater cinematic experience than finding such a gem. This is unpretentious and real - and ultimately honest and rewarding. Don McKellar has crafted something really special.
If it is the last thing you ever do.
michaelRokeefe10 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Don McKellar writes, directs and stars in this dry humored drama dealing with the end of the world. Citizens of Toronto deal with the world's coming to an end at the stroke of midnight and new millennium. Some celebrate with violence, some vandalism; Patrick Wheeler(McKellar)suffers through a faux Christmas reunion. But he wants to spend that last moment alone in his apartment. Sandra(Sandra Oh)tries to get across town to commit suicide with her husband. A gas company employee(David Cronenberg)spends his time making courtesy calls. Craig (Calllum Keith Rennie)hopes to achieve sexual satisfaction with a special list of women...a black woman, a virgin and his favorite old teacher(Genevieve Bujold). Patrick finds Sandra at his doorstep wanting to use the phone. He tries to help her home, but as the final moments of time ticks, the two are pointing pistols at each other's head. I almost gave up on this film twice; but there was still something about it that kept me watching. Like a bottle of Scotch, LAST NIGHT requires an acquired taste.
Haunting and Lovely
wesberger23 July 2005
I found LAST NIGHT quite thought-provoking and moving the first time I saw it and its impact on me has only grown over time. This is an amazingly sophisticated and well-executed film for a first-time director. What I find thrilling about it is both the fine balance it finds between ideas and emotional resonance and its sense of tonal unity and control. The images and music have stayed with me for years. Despite the melancholic events of the story and the sense of loss that permeates the film (after all, we are talking about the end of the world here), a mordant sense of humour and finally a romantic, optimistic heart leavens the story's darkness, without pushing the movie into cheap sentimentality or melodrama (Armageddon, anyone?). All this and only one of the most memorable closing images in modern film! Seek it out. It's worth it.
An interesting allegorical tale
itamarscomix7 July 2012
Last Night is an original and intelligent Canadian independent film that takes a literal look at the phrase "live each day like it was the last day of your life"; it starts with the hypothetical situation in which the world is about to end, and the date and even the time are known to everybody (don't look for any scientific logic behind that - the actual method of the apocalypse is left intentionally unclear), and follows several characters who have different ideas of how they want to spend that final day.
The concept is appealing and immediately creates an infinite number of possibilities; the script makes the most of it, though I feel it could have been better. My main problem is with the main character - played by writer/director Don McKellar - who takes up a large chunk of the screen time but is far less interesting than most of the secondary characters (this is not because of McKellar's acting but mainly because the character is probably an avatar for McKellar himself and therefore far less extreme). This, couple with acting that is sometimes great but often wooden and lacking in emotion (a strange trait of many Canadian independent films) makes the film less effective emotionally than it should have been, and keeps it in the category of though-provoking allegory and intellectual exercise. As such, it's a wonderful little film and a very unusual one.
The concept is appealing and immediately creates an infinite number of possibilities; the script makes the most of it, though I feel it could have been better. My main problem is with the main character - played by writer/director Don McKellar - who takes up a large chunk of the screen time but is far less interesting than most of the secondary characters (this is not because of McKellar's acting but mainly because the character is probably an avatar for McKellar himself and therefore far less extreme). This, couple with acting that is sometimes great but often wooden and lacking in emotion (a strange trait of many Canadian independent films) makes the film less effective emotionally than it should have been, and keeps it in the category of though-provoking allegory and intellectual exercise. As such, it's a wonderful little film and a very unusual one.
Quietly thrilling, darkly humorous, poignant and haunting.
Galvano20 January 1999
I saw LAST NIGHT last night at a special London preview where we all had to fill in a questionnaire. I don't know if this was just to formulate a marketing campaign or (more worrying) to consider making changes to the film. So just in case, let me say to the powers-that-be, DON'T CHANGE A THING! LAST NIGHT is wonderfully refreshing and intelligent. No cheap thrills or laughs. Nothing derivative or patronising to the audience. It has an integrity increasingly rare in modern cinema. Don't just 'forget Armageddon', it's misleading to even compare them. A sense of impeding doom is treated here like a collective state-of-mind rather than an externalised visual spectacle. It's elegantly spare in both look, writing and performances. Quietly thrilling, darkly humorous, poignant and haunting. Faultless on every level. Congratulations to McKellar, and the team for making the film you wanted to make, without the destructive influence of corporate interference!
"It's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)"
room10225 January 2003
What would you do on the last night before the end of the world? "Last Night (1998)" is the story of several people, all connected in some sort to one another, and each having different plans for spending the last few hours as well as the last few seconds before it all ends.
The movie, made for $2 million, was nominated for 13 Genie awards and won 3. Don McKellar (Exotica, eXistenZ), who wrote, directed and stars, got many awards for this movie, including a Genie and a Cannes Film Festival award.
The cast consists of some of Canada's best talents, including director David Cronenberg (as Duncan, the gas company executive who ensures his clients to serve them up to the end), the beautiful Sarah Polley (Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter, eXistenZ, Go), Sandra Oh (The Red Violin), Genevieve Bujold (Dead Ringers), Jackie Burroughs (The Dead Zone), Arsinee Khanjian (Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter, and wife of director Atom Egoyan), Callum Keith Rennie (eXistenZ) and more.
The movie, made for $2 million, was nominated for 13 Genie awards and won 3. Don McKellar (Exotica, eXistenZ), who wrote, directed and stars, got many awards for this movie, including a Genie and a Cannes Film Festival award.
The cast consists of some of Canada's best talents, including director David Cronenberg (as Duncan, the gas company executive who ensures his clients to serve them up to the end), the beautiful Sarah Polley (Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter, eXistenZ, Go), Sandra Oh (The Red Violin), Genevieve Bujold (Dead Ringers), Jackie Burroughs (The Dead Zone), Arsinee Khanjian (Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter, and wife of director Atom Egoyan), Callum Keith Rennie (eXistenZ) and more.
Depressing, incredulous context, poor characterization - not worth seeing
Dilip19 December 1999
I skimmed what others on the IMDB database had to say but I must just have not understood the film. A friend and I were what we thought to be 15 minutes or so late, so stayed to watch the beginning of the next showing, but it turned out we had only missed about 5 minutes. We had hoped, in vain as it turns out, that we would learn some context as to why/how the world was about to predictably end, cleanly right at midnight one day. When we left shortly after we got caught up, it was a relief for me to leave behind this depressing and unbelievable film, literally a welcome breath of fresh air.
The plot is simple - for some unknown reason, the whole world (or at least all humans) will come to an end at midnight, and if you listen carefully for just a few offhand and quick lines in dialogue, you will also note that this has been known for a few months and that night hasn't fallen in some time (how could this be? Has the earth suddenly stopped rotating? Would India be in total darkness if Canada is in total light? Is the Western Hemisphere coming to an end?? Have people really given up? Who knows.). What would you do if you knew for a fact that the world were about to end? And had a few months to prepare for it?
You have to abandon your credulity even further, as the characters portrayed are largely 2-dimensional and whose motives and actions make little sense. Some may choose quite contemplation (a few of the characters pray), some may go mad (as one mother seems to have), some may review their lives (as a family does), but is human character so evil and interested in senseless entropy as to engage in pointless violence and property damage, crass behavior, and the like? I would think not - I would think that such a calamity would tend to make people introspective and to commiserate and hang together as a global community.
Philosophical perspective aside, the characterization had no depth. The camera techniques were mildly interesting, often involving shooting into hazy light, but the camera was not kind to the characters, making most of them look unflattering. How could this have been called a comedic drama? It was depressing through-and-through and the drama was very weak, with there being no attempt portrayed to understand/overcome the demise - instead all is just a rather ineffective depiction of individual reactions to the impending doom.
Rating: 3 out of 10, though I'm wondering why I rated it so high - maybe because of some of the great songs from the 1970s (for example, I was delighted to hear "Jimmy Loves Maryanne" by Looking Glass of "Brandy" fame - I didn't know anybody knew this other song of theirs!)
The plot is simple - for some unknown reason, the whole world (or at least all humans) will come to an end at midnight, and if you listen carefully for just a few offhand and quick lines in dialogue, you will also note that this has been known for a few months and that night hasn't fallen in some time (how could this be? Has the earth suddenly stopped rotating? Would India be in total darkness if Canada is in total light? Is the Western Hemisphere coming to an end?? Have people really given up? Who knows.). What would you do if you knew for a fact that the world were about to end? And had a few months to prepare for it?
You have to abandon your credulity even further, as the characters portrayed are largely 2-dimensional and whose motives and actions make little sense. Some may choose quite contemplation (a few of the characters pray), some may go mad (as one mother seems to have), some may review their lives (as a family does), but is human character so evil and interested in senseless entropy as to engage in pointless violence and property damage, crass behavior, and the like? I would think not - I would think that such a calamity would tend to make people introspective and to commiserate and hang together as a global community.
Philosophical perspective aside, the characterization had no depth. The camera techniques were mildly interesting, often involving shooting into hazy light, but the camera was not kind to the characters, making most of them look unflattering. How could this have been called a comedic drama? It was depressing through-and-through and the drama was very weak, with there being no attempt portrayed to understand/overcome the demise - instead all is just a rather ineffective depiction of individual reactions to the impending doom.
Rating: 3 out of 10, though I'm wondering why I rated it so high - maybe because of some of the great songs from the 1970s (for example, I was delighted to hear "Jimmy Loves Maryanne" by Looking Glass of "Brandy" fame - I didn't know anybody knew this other song of theirs!)
what REALLY matters
uszoni20031 July 2004
Don McKellar directs/wrote/stars in one small movie that asks us... what is REALLY important?
The world is about to end (how is irrelevant) and we follow a (seemingly) random bunch of people as they fill there last hours.
On one level they all want to make dreams/desires/fantasies they've held onto happen. Our main character, Patrick Wheeler is caught between fulfilling his parents plans and his own.
I don't want to give too much of this simple, beautiful and heartfelt movie away, but I think it boils down to a question of opening ourselves up - to be less alone - and to let love in. I think that one thing Mr. McKellar is trying to say is that the power of love- true love (NOT lust) will get us through - no matter what the obstacle.
I've seen this movie several times, and am the last person to be swayed by big Hollywood films that try to "steer" you to "feel" for their characters. Last Night is NOT an action picture. It moves slowly, and builds to an ending that never fails to bring a tear to my eye. I hope you enjoy it is much as I do.
The world is about to end (how is irrelevant) and we follow a (seemingly) random bunch of people as they fill there last hours.
On one level they all want to make dreams/desires/fantasies they've held onto happen. Our main character, Patrick Wheeler is caught between fulfilling his parents plans and his own.
I don't want to give too much of this simple, beautiful and heartfelt movie away, but I think it boils down to a question of opening ourselves up - to be less alone - and to let love in. I think that one thing Mr. McKellar is trying to say is that the power of love- true love (NOT lust) will get us through - no matter what the obstacle.
I've seen this movie several times, and am the last person to be swayed by big Hollywood films that try to "steer" you to "feel" for their characters. Last Night is NOT an action picture. It moves slowly, and builds to an ending that never fails to bring a tear to my eye. I hope you enjoy it is much as I do.
Not with a bang. . .
bburns20 December 1999
"Last Night" is a very well-conceived, well-written film about the end of the world. Unfortunately, the execution leaves something to be desired. The acting is almost uniformly flat (an unfortunate trait of most Canadian films, I'm afraid), and the pacing is just a bit off. The film intertwines six or seven plotlines into a cohesive whole. My favorite involved David Cronenberg as a gas company executive trying to keep everything running smoothly until the final hour. My least favorite (or favorites, I should say) involved director McKellar (easily the worst actor in the film) as a self-absorbed misanthrope who hates his family & is afraid of sex. Also included is a family pretending it's Christmas, a guy trying to fulfill every sexual fantasy he has ever had before the end, a mother & daughter sitting in a trolley with no driver, a concert pianist, and a woman running around, shouting out how much time is left. The last three plotlines mentioned do nothing to advance the story, but merely seem there to show how arty McKellar really is. I would have preferred that McKellar had concentrated on the other, more humanistic plotlines.
This is not a bad film by any means, but given the subject matter, it could have been a little less reserved and a little more daring.
This is not a bad film by any means, but given the subject matter, it could have been a little less reserved and a little more daring.
A great movie, and perhaps the first ever "fade to white"
ToldYaSo17 June 1999
Warning: Spoilers
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.
Interesting but hollow
baumer12 July 1999
Canadians have an inferiority complex. We do. We are always trying to make ourselves known to our southern neighbours. We get upset when they don't know the Canadian national anthem or when they don't know what the capital of Saskatchewan is. And it is this inferiority compex that I believe is at the root of people in this forum that praise this movie like it was the best film ever made. When a lot of Canadians say how wonderful it is, they don't forget to mention the other films that came out last year that were "end of the world" films. And they say how terrible those films were, how hollow they were, how they were more concerned with the bottom line than to make a meaningful movie that had something to say. "Last Night", paranoid Canadians say, "is a film that is so good because there is no special effects and it concentrates on humanity and not the anamoly that is headed towards Earth." Well let me ask you this. When did entertainment ever become an evil forum? When is that films like Armageddon and Deep Impact became the enemy. And when is it that films were ever made because someone didn't want to turn in a profit? Do you think there is ever a time when someone says " You know what? I don't want this film to make any money. I just want to invest my life savings into this film and have three or four people enjoy it and then I want the guys who financed this to go broke. "
Folks, movies are a business and that is why Hollywood is as strong as it is and that is why the Canadian film industry is in the shape and state that it is in. We may tell stories that are interesting and have a point, but ya know what? They are boring. Most Canadian films are boring. Armageddon and Deep Impact were fun and entertaining and they followed a formula sure, but when you sat down in the theaters last year and you were in the cool air conditioned theater and you heard Charleton Heston's voice over explaining that " it happened once, it will happen again, it is just a matter of time", didn't you just sit back and say to yourself, " this is going to be fun. " And if you answer no to that question, you are either lying or didn't want to like that film going into it. It was an exciting film and most of our products are boring. Now I am not saying that's how I felt about Last Night, because I didn't. But I certainly don't feel that this is the be all to end all to film that most others do. It is a good film but it is hollow. And it is so typically Canadian. When people say that this film was good because there were no special effects and blah blah blah, that is because they can't afford them. And yes that forces people to write a script that is more concerned with how people talk and how they feel and on that level Last Night is fine, it is not great, it is just fine. It didn't move me and frankly I didn't really think it had much to say. It was just all right.
What I did enjoy was the exploration into some people's lives. Some were interesting and some were not. I found the sex addict to be amusing and actually quite real. His life was devoted to having as much sex as possible before he went out. And that was interesting. The guy who wanted to perform his first concert on the night of the end of the world was good as well. But tell me please, what would anyone be doing at work on this day? And a gas company? Come on. That just didn't do it for me. And why did Cronenburg's character get shot? For something to do? For kicks? Was that the reason? It just wasn't clear. You see, to me, if you want to have a film that examines the psychology of humans on the last night of the earth, then you have to have a few characters that are richer than this. I didn't buy the whole story with Patrick and the Oriental girl. It felt forced and it's like the script was grasping when it wrote that story line in. So I guess my problem with the story is that it didn't show enough of what it really would be like. And it was so damn slow in some areas. I know it sounds like I really hated this movie, but that is not the case, I am giving it a 7 out of ten, but it is just not the master piece that I think everyone says it is. Of course that is just my humble opinion and I am obviously in the minority here. Perhaps I am a product of Hollywood so it clouds my judgement, but there are small films that I can enjoy just as much as the next person, but they have to be from the heart, I didn't feel that in here. It felt close, but in a way, I could feel the paranoia. And I am Canadian as well, born in Montreal, raised in Windsor and London Ont. and spent a few years in T.O. So I am as proud a Canadian as they come. And like I said, it is a good film, but ask yourself this, if this was a film done by a smaller American director, perhaps Alan Parker or even someone like John Badham, would you as Canadians think it was as great as you say it is? Or would you just say, " Yep, not bad, interesting." And then move on and look forward to the next Will Smith movie to come out?
Think about it.
Folks, movies are a business and that is why Hollywood is as strong as it is and that is why the Canadian film industry is in the shape and state that it is in. We may tell stories that are interesting and have a point, but ya know what? They are boring. Most Canadian films are boring. Armageddon and Deep Impact were fun and entertaining and they followed a formula sure, but when you sat down in the theaters last year and you were in the cool air conditioned theater and you heard Charleton Heston's voice over explaining that " it happened once, it will happen again, it is just a matter of time", didn't you just sit back and say to yourself, " this is going to be fun. " And if you answer no to that question, you are either lying or didn't want to like that film going into it. It was an exciting film and most of our products are boring. Now I am not saying that's how I felt about Last Night, because I didn't. But I certainly don't feel that this is the be all to end all to film that most others do. It is a good film but it is hollow. And it is so typically Canadian. When people say that this film was good because there were no special effects and blah blah blah, that is because they can't afford them. And yes that forces people to write a script that is more concerned with how people talk and how they feel and on that level Last Night is fine, it is not great, it is just fine. It didn't move me and frankly I didn't really think it had much to say. It was just all right.
What I did enjoy was the exploration into some people's lives. Some were interesting and some were not. I found the sex addict to be amusing and actually quite real. His life was devoted to having as much sex as possible before he went out. And that was interesting. The guy who wanted to perform his first concert on the night of the end of the world was good as well. But tell me please, what would anyone be doing at work on this day? And a gas company? Come on. That just didn't do it for me. And why did Cronenburg's character get shot? For something to do? For kicks? Was that the reason? It just wasn't clear. You see, to me, if you want to have a film that examines the psychology of humans on the last night of the earth, then you have to have a few characters that are richer than this. I didn't buy the whole story with Patrick and the Oriental girl. It felt forced and it's like the script was grasping when it wrote that story line in. So I guess my problem with the story is that it didn't show enough of what it really would be like. And it was so damn slow in some areas. I know it sounds like I really hated this movie, but that is not the case, I am giving it a 7 out of ten, but it is just not the master piece that I think everyone says it is. Of course that is just my humble opinion and I am obviously in the minority here. Perhaps I am a product of Hollywood so it clouds my judgement, but there are small films that I can enjoy just as much as the next person, but they have to be from the heart, I didn't feel that in here. It felt close, but in a way, I could feel the paranoia. And I am Canadian as well, born in Montreal, raised in Windsor and London Ont. and spent a few years in T.O. So I am as proud a Canadian as they come. And like I said, it is a good film, but ask yourself this, if this was a film done by a smaller American director, perhaps Alan Parker or even someone like John Badham, would you as Canadians think it was as great as you say it is? Or would you just say, " Yep, not bad, interesting." And then move on and look forward to the next Will Smith movie to come out?
Think about it.
This movie became one of my all-time favorites after about 3 minutes of watching
tantalum28 May 2004
Surreal, human, funny, deep. This movie avoids the 'technical' aspects of Armageddon, it is a certainty, and it looms over the characters wherever the story takes them.
Rather than nitpicking, Don McKellar takes his characters on a strange voyage through the human condition, with everyone spending the last 6 hours of their lives as amplified versions of themselves right up to the very end - experiencing love and fear, examining their values, making choices, learning, growing and being reborn.
If the world was ending in 6 hours, I would probably spend 2 of them watching this movie.
Rather than nitpicking, Don McKellar takes his characters on a strange voyage through the human condition, with everyone spending the last 6 hours of their lives as amplified versions of themselves right up to the very end - experiencing love and fear, examining their values, making choices, learning, growing and being reborn.
If the world was ending in 6 hours, I would probably spend 2 of them watching this movie.
Slow, but not stupid.
GlasSpyder7 March 2000
Good characters helped to make this a watchable film. The pacing was slow, but I didn't find myself checking the clock. It's an interesting study of how people make peace with themselves and sometimes with each other at zero-hour. It's better if you don't mind never quite knowing why the world is ending. And I always enjoy Cronenberg, whether he's behind or (in this case) before the camera. Give it a try.
my favorite end of the world movie
Movie_Man 50026 August 2005
Stark, original piece set in Canada has a really depressing, terrible feeling behind every scene, but how else can you make a movie about the last day of human survival? Every character is sadly, gloomily interesting, especially the great, under-appreciated Sandra Oh, who gives the picture most of its immediate emotion. Her character is married to a key figure in the story played by David Cronenberg, who just happens to be the best film maker Canada has ever produced. His plot is just as upsetting as everyone else's, although McKeller's rather sexy buddy seems to be having the most exhausting fun. He's going out in style with pleasure. Hint: he even hits on poor gloomy Don for one last experimental thrill... tho Don wimps out and turns him down...Another great actress, Genevieve Bujold, plays a nice role in several stories. She still looks stunning as she ages. And her accent. Probably worth hearing as the world is slowly dying. Outdoor scenery is mesmorizing. Indoor scenery is quiet and unsettling. You definitely need to be in the mood to watch this. It always leaves a rather brutal impression...
Science Fact or Fiction?
mrezyka16 August 2005
As a few people seem to be interested in the science fact or fiction of this movie; I offer the following.
Planets rotate because of something called the conservation of angular momentum. The moon rotates too, but at just the right speed so that it always keeps one face pointed toward the Earth. It's not a coincidence. Almost all moons in the Solar System keep one face pointed toward their planet, because of a process called tidal friction. Could Earth suddenly slow it's spin so that one side is always aimed at the sun and survive? No. Not so long as the Moon is there. If you could somehow get rid of the Moon and wait long enough (a few hundred thousand years), Earth would eventually always face the sun. All other scenarios would destroy the earth instantly.
Our Sun will not go supernova in a huge explosion, it's not massive enough. Instead, when it's fuel is exhausted it will grow into a Red Giant then to Planetary Nebula to White Dwarf to Black Dwarf. And we'll have a lot more warning than a few months! In fact we know right now when it's going to happen; In 5 billion years! Then the earth will begin to warm as the Sun begins to grow. Over a period of thousands of years the Earth will be swallowed up and destroyed by the Red Giant Sun.
So we have to conclude that the scenario presented in this movie has absolutely no basis in science fact. But beware; it's still a pretty good movie. I knew all of this going in, but I still managed to enjoy it.
Planets rotate because of something called the conservation of angular momentum. The moon rotates too, but at just the right speed so that it always keeps one face pointed toward the Earth. It's not a coincidence. Almost all moons in the Solar System keep one face pointed toward their planet, because of a process called tidal friction. Could Earth suddenly slow it's spin so that one side is always aimed at the sun and survive? No. Not so long as the Moon is there. If you could somehow get rid of the Moon and wait long enough (a few hundred thousand years), Earth would eventually always face the sun. All other scenarios would destroy the earth instantly.
Our Sun will not go supernova in a huge explosion, it's not massive enough. Instead, when it's fuel is exhausted it will grow into a Red Giant then to Planetary Nebula to White Dwarf to Black Dwarf. And we'll have a lot more warning than a few months! In fact we know right now when it's going to happen; In 5 billion years! Then the earth will begin to warm as the Sun begins to grow. Over a period of thousands of years the Earth will be swallowed up and destroyed by the Red Giant Sun.
So we have to conclude that the scenario presented in this movie has absolutely no basis in science fact. But beware; it's still a pretty good movie. I knew all of this going in, but I still managed to enjoy it.
Yes!
rinodelvecchio25 June 2020
Interesting, but flawed...
Klaaatu15 November 1998
This is an interesting movie that is not necessarily the most professional in appearance.
For some reason, the amateur look of the movie detracted my attention from the story and the dialog. It seemed to me that a bit more creativity would have helped the movie tremendously.
Also, the issue of religion wasn't really explored in a lot of depth. With the year 2000 and the millennium in 2001 approaching, we can already see the religious emphasis in society and how important it will really be to us if the end of the world ever approached us (with or without a definite warning).
Some of the writing had large holes in it. If this was a one hour short, the content would have flowed much better.
For some reason, the amateur look of the movie detracted my attention from the story and the dialog. It seemed to me that a bit more creativity would have helped the movie tremendously.
Also, the issue of religion wasn't really explored in a lot of depth. With the year 2000 and the millennium in 2001 approaching, we can already see the religious emphasis in society and how important it will really be to us if the end of the world ever approached us (with or without a definite warning).
Some of the writing had large holes in it. If this was a one hour short, the content would have flowed much better.
unbelievable & Boring
jaybob6 September 2001
To make any film about the supposed end of the world, there should be some facts & realism 1. We are never told why these people believe this. 2.Location is New Years Eve In Toronto Canada . SO PLEASE SOME ONE TELL ME WHY WAS THEN STILL SHINING AT MIDNIGHT & WHY(based on the costumes) DID IT SEEM LIKE SEPTEMBER
3. The acting was in that neo-au-natural style, that needed a director who knew how to do it.
4. the individual story pieces were all dreary & without any purpose. I could go on, But I do not want to make this as boring as the film.
rating *1/2 (out of 4) 2 on IMDB scale
thank you I am as always
JAY HARRIS (aka)SIRBOSSMAN
3. The acting was in that neo-au-natural style, that needed a director who knew how to do it.
4. the individual story pieces were all dreary & without any purpose. I could go on, But I do not want to make this as boring as the film.
rating *1/2 (out of 4) 2 on IMDB scale
thank you I am as always
JAY HARRIS (aka)SIRBOSSMAN
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