The Last Kiss (2006)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Fresh and Exciting

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This one has a story, and plenty of good moments. You can see how the protagonist (Zach) develops his feelings, learns more about himself and his relationship as the drama unfolds. It's essentially a movie about human relationships. The story, however, could have been more coherent if the side plots were more developed. By the end, you get the point the movie is trying to make, but the minor plots could have contributed to it better. The scene when Michael waits on the porch for forgiveness was appropriately emotive for a climax. A dialogue that I remember from this one:'You can't fail if you never give up.'

THIS REVIEW SHOULD BE READ BY THOSE WHO'VE ACTUALLY SEEN THE MOVIE There are a lot of films that deal with mid-life crises in their own ways. Some come out great, some totally miss the point. But every now and then a film tries, and falls short. This is "The Last Kiss".What the writers and the director did for this movie pretty much reflects what the Zach Braff character said at the end of the movie, where the couple should at least try to make things work. I think that's what this movie tried to do as well.It's unfair to compare movies, therefore I won't go there. But this movie itself, was missing something. Maybe it needed to be longer, maybe it needed to a series, or a 2-part movie in order to delve into the characters and their issues a little bit more, but I feel like with the set-up they gave us at the beginning of the movie, this film could have done a lot more, had there been more time for it to do. It could have been better, because it had the potential but for whatever reason, the movie length was that length, and the choice of words coming out of Zach Braff's mouth (awful, just absolutely awful) were those words.This movie dealt with a good theme, and good initial story-lines but failed in its premise, and became too "movie-like" and less "real-world" if you know what I mean. This is an important point because that is what the movie was aiming at.And so for that reason, I'll give it a 2 out 4 stars. RIP Roger Ebert.

Hollywood, for lack of originality, sometimes resorts to remake European film hits. Alas, those efforts can be a hit or a miss, as it never can outdo something that was perfect before. While credit must go to Tony Goldwyn and the adapter of the original material, Paul Haggis, for the way they make it palatable for American audiences, some of the enjoyment is lacking in the finished product. Part of the blame is that some of the characters in this version are people one wouldn't like to meet in the first place.The story follows the Italian version of 2001 pretty much. This tale centers around four friends that, for all practical purposes, have refused to grow to accept their new realities. That seems to be what happened to Chris and his disenchanted wife. They find themselves in no-win situation with a child they probably weren't counting on. Whatever they thought about their marriage, is not working out.Michael who is fully aware what Chris is going through, has a good relationship with Jenna, his girlfriend, with whom he is living. To complicate things, Michael meets Kim at a wedding. She clearly knows about him, so he feels flattered by the attention this attractive woman, although younger, shows him. Little prepares him when Jenna tells him she's pregnant, something that he didn't expect. While her parents are elated, Michael begins an affair with the beautiful Kim, something that will change his life completely.The American cast on this remake is fairly attractive. Zach Braff, a personable actor who keeps reminding this viewer of a young Dustin Hoffman is a charmer that has proved he has talent to spare. His Michael goes through a gamut of emotions. Equally good is Jacinda Barrett, a personable and gorgeous actress that always delivers. Casey Affleck and Rachel Bilson play Chris and Kim showing sensitive to the material. The older cast includes the excellent Blythe Danner and Tom Wilkinson, two people that are a welcome addition to any film. Harold Ramis, the director, has a small role.We look forward to more things from director Tony Goldwyn, hoping he finds the right original material in which to show the range which he is capable of giving an audience to enjoy.

I strongly urge you all to watch Gabriele Muccino's original "L'ultimo baccio" of which this film is a remake, which is largely better. I thought Zachary Braff was a miscast (his Italian alter-ego is better). Rachel Bilson, however, is lovely and very much like the rookie blond girl in the original movie (her first appearance on screen). Jacinta Barret is great. still, the Italian original movie has more strength, warmth and is an overall better movie. And then, the emotional reactions, feelings and overall personalities of all characters in the film are 100 percent Italian (and Latin, for that matter), and parts of the script seem "forced" with the burden put on Americans