The Last Kiss

Don’t expect The Last Kiss to be like Garden State. In my opinion, that’s a pretty lofty expectation to place on this film. It’s understandable that people could make the assumption with Zach Braff in the lead role having romantic discourses with pretty actresses as emo music fills the background. But it is important to note that Braff neither wrote nor directed this film (well, he did write the final scenes which are wonderfully done); that credit goes to Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby, Crash) and Tony Goldwyn (TV guest actor who also played the chief of staff in The Pelican Brief). I guess I should also mention that this film is a remake of 2001’s L'ultimo Bacio. The critics are wondering why a remake was needed, I was wondering if any regular movie-goer had actually seen the original. I know I haven’t. But enough about giving credit where credit is due; let’s look at the film.

I am a big fan of Zach Braff. Ever since I saw him play with shaving cream in the opening seconds of the Scrubs pilot episode, I thought this is an actor I can get behind. For some strange reason, I find that I can totally relate to Zach Braff. Maybe it’s the dorky sense of humour. Maybe it’s the similar age. Or maybe it’s that sense that we feel like we’re living in a movie-world that is much more dramatic than it really is. Of course, Zach gets all the hot girls and me, not so much . . . not at all. In The Last Kiss, Braff plays Michael, a guy who has a hot, pregnant fiancée but is afraid to commit without seeing what else is out there. At times I can totally see where he is coming from even though I may not agree with his actions. Actually, Michael is pretty despicable at times. And he seems stupid as well. I agree that Rachel Bilson (The OC) is pretty good looking but his fiancée played by Jacinda Barrett (The Real World, School for Scoundrels) is no slouch. Barrett’s Jenna is also sweet and caring, making Michael even more stupid.

While the love triangle is at the center of The Last Kiss, this drama also looks at four other relationships filled with great acting from the likes of Casey Affleck, Blythe Danner and Tom Wilkinson. Unfortunately, these relationship trials aren’t fully fleshed out to the point that I’m really rooting for the characters to get back together. It is also unfortunate that I can’t get past the casting of Michael Weston as the rejected Izzy, since I will always remember him as Large’s cop friend from Braff’s Garden State. Another thing wrong with this film are the graphic sexual scenes that are completely unnecessary. The three scenes seemed out of place and served only for titillation purposes as the story could have easily been told without them.

Braff’s other contribution to The Last Kiss is the making of the soundtrack. As he did with the Grammy award-winning Garden State soundtrack, Braff picks the perfect emo songs to punctuate the movie and evoke the desired feelings. The opening track of Snow Patrol’s Chocolate puts the audience in the perfect state of mind for this romantic dramatic film. Looking over the track listing, it appears that Braff is giving Joshua Radin some time in the spotlight, much like he did with The Shins in Garden State. And with good reason.

In closing, wait for this film on DVD and fast forward through a couple of quick scenes. Oh, and don’t watch this film if you’re going to get married in the next couple of weeks. But if you want to support the film, buy the soundtrack. If Zach Braff likes it, that’s good enough for me.