The Last Kiss (2001)

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

"I'm currently studying Italian and in yesterday's class we got to see a movie, an Italian one of course, for the very first time. The choice of my teacher was SCUSA MA TI CHIAMO AMORE, a completely unknown movie for me". I wrote this almost a year ago in my IMDb for that mentioned Italian romantic movie. Now, I'm still studying that Italian course and yesterday we got to see another movie; the third one really, since a couple of months ago I brought to the class my DVD of Roberto Rossellini's GERMANIA ANNO ZERO. My teacher didn't dig that 1948 film, so this time she didn't ask me for another suggestion! She instead brought L'ULTIMO BACIO – a romantic comedy that offers pretty much the same that SCUSA MA TI CHIAMO AMORE and, I think, dozens of other modern movies from Italy. Actually, I could copy my SCUSA MA TI CHIAMO AMORE comment to express my feelings towards this movie from Gabriele Muccino. Let's see, L'ULTIMO BACIO is (as well): boring and predictable; ridiculous, with cheap soap opera stuff; a movie with lots of minor characters you don't care for; and ultimately it's not funny or romantic. These movies think they're clever and are offering some sort of reality. Wrong. They're a product for young, dumb girls who dream to be with a much older dude instead of focusing in issues like finishing school or getting to know a boy of their same age, if that makes sense. My take on L'ULTIMO BACIO is that Muccino thinks that just for not giving us a "happy ending" he is creating a piece of realism about modern relationships. Yeah, we all know relationships are sometimes tough and bring you nothing but pain – but I don't think we need to sit down for almost two hours and see a bunch of annoying and boring persons to understand that. If you want a really beautiful take on relationships, that doesn't feel FAKE nor have spoiled as*h*les as characters, then stay away from L'ULTIMO BACIO; and don't worry, there are plenty of Woody Allen films out there waiting for you! *Watched it on 22 December, 2012

'The chords ring so familiar / To a man who's heard it all before' - or also to a woman who's heard it all before, as we could paraphrase the above line from a song included in the film score. 'L'ultimo bacio' is really made up of situations recycled from stuff seen and even read before, stuff that had been heard before even in the age of William Shakespeare. But. You can't help but enjoy it. You have to take no effort to stay with this movie. It takes you through the well-charted territory of mismanaged human relationships, the betrayal and the begging for forgiveness part, and makes it a joyride thanks to good pacing and wonderful acting that at times brings out your most gloating self from you. OK, if you have done everything perfectly in your life so far, you might not start laughing... But otherwise you'll simply feel like being in the middle of this all the way. The movie is filled with the sort of everyday desperation that is fed mostly by everyday desperation which just doesn't make sense but is there for most of us.As far as the acting's concerned, Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Stefano Accorsi are definitely in the focus here, but even the supporting cast is doing great and have a lot more than bit parts. OK, I zeroed in on Giovanna Mezzogiorno most of the time, but that doesn't blind me to the value in the others' performance. So, make fun of yourself and watch this film, recommended.

"Last Kiss (L'ultimo Bacio)" is a rollicking, sped up, very Italian version of "Four Weddings and a Funeral," though here it's two weddings, a funeral, a couple of affairs and a separation. This is a very contemporary take on Northern Italian upper middle class society in modern apartments and houses and lots and lots of mobile phones. The casting is marvelous, as each character is made distinct by each actor's appearance and the character's foible and romantic situation within a large ensemble of four almost-30 friends from college, their significant others, and a set of parents and their friends.The music is coordinated briskly with the zooming editing and I'm sure if I knew Italian pop music would be commenting on each character's taste. Ironically, the characters who seem languid and peaceful at the beginning, of course by the end are running around yelling when everyone else has calmed down. The subtitles are in yellow, though still difficult to read, but barely communicate the characters' conversations; they speak at breakneck pace and can't possibly just say what's written, which was confirmed by my Italian friend (she also said that the written language is considerably cleaned-up, even with the subtitles including the occasional assh*le and f*ck -- that the insults are considerably more biologically descriptive). If Hollywood makes a version, there will be some cleaning up of the characters' actions (particularly as regards an "American Beauty"-like obsession, as the audience I was with gasped a few times at how far sympathetic characters went and then lied about it. Unusual for such a "When will you grow up?" movie, we also see the impact of impending grandparenthood. But extremely rare for an Italian movie (and for Italian society, says my friend) this showed what's good for the goose can be good for the gander.(originally written 9/2/2002)

A movie with good pace about life's motivations at the thirties; but its simplicity is sadly joined with lack of elaboration. It confuses passion with hysteria and almost every dialog finish with the people screaming. I didn't understand why it's called 'the last kiss'. 3/10