Friday, October 2, 2015

THE LAST SUPPER (1995)



Directed By: Stacy Title 
Written By: Dan Rosen 
Cinematography By: Paul Cameron 
Editor: Luis Colina 


Cast: Cameron Diaz, Courntey B. Vance, Annabeth Gish, Jonathan Penner, Charles Durning, Ron Perlman, Bill Paxton, Ron Eldard, Nora Dunn, Elisabeth Moss, Jason Alexander, Amy Hill, Mark Harmon, Warren Hutcherson

A group of idealistic, but frustrated, liberals succumb to the temptation of murdering rightwing pundits for their political beliefs.

Very much a film of it's time with it's subject matter, The film tries to be a satire though ends up as sophomoric comedy with a big vocabulary, by the end if the film it goes way overboard. Though predicts a certain aspect of the future that came to light

While the film has the material after a while it feel stretched. Smartly the film eventually focuses on the characters and their relationships. Though it feels like that should have come earlier here it happens in the middle. That feels like an afterthought as it should have been brought to the foreground more naturally.

While the cast is good everyone looks too old for the roles and hardly given any depth as characters, more seem like caricatures. Which is why the ending lacks the power it see of and feels artistically overblown to make a mark with the audience.

Sure the film is fun at times, but seems more like it would have been an enjoyable short.

As it plays now it feels repetitive while it seems to satirize every type of political pundit at the time for an audience friendly killing. If more of the characters objected to what was happening earlier or showed the effects mentally or was taking on the characters. The film could have gotten out of it's rather simplistic nature.

Like in the third act where one character seems to take a little too much particular glee and becomes the alpha of the group while the rest have second thoughts, but are afraid to go against him. It gains a certain arc as all the characters all seem to go in different reactions as they cope with the situation.

Bill Paxton shot his cameo during a weekend off from filming Apollo 13

Also while I like all the actors half of them look too old for their roles. They look more like professors then students.

All 5 of the "liberals" are named, in some form, after apostles. --Once the film begins to become stale is when the film decides to pay more attention to it’s dramatics and the dynamics that might pull the group apart.

The film is of note for it's cast of character actors. Also for being Cameron Diaz's second big role in a film after THE MASK. Though not a major feature an indie. When it was thought cool to do one. As it was different and gave you a chance to show what you could do with very little limitations and more chances to show off your dramatic chops. It's a cute little liberal fantasy comedy.


Grade: C-

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