The Last Good Time (1994)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Such a frustrating disappointment

Simply A Masterpiece

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Well, it IS slow. I read that over and over and over again in the other IMDB reviews and I am not going to argue that at all.It is a slow film, but, I don't necessarily find that to be a bad thing and in this case slow is more along the line of a movie that takes its time, and arguably has to given the budget. After all, this is nothing but story. That is kind of all they had.It's certainly a story driven film and that is in fairly short supply. There aren't that many pure stories on the film any longer and since the Indie film market has all but crashed, they are fewer and further between.And the story itself isn't uplifting, but it is real. Sure, the circumstances are a bit beyond belief, but the characters themselves are certainly real, you can see real people acting that way.I can't go so far to say that it is heart warming. It seems like a mutual use relationship, in a way, but one that certainly comes to help each of the main characters through some rough patches in their lives.I'm glad I watched it, I wouldn't mind watching it again, but in the end, if you don't have the patience to read a book you won't have the patience to watch this film either.

Delicate but pointless little drama about an old widower (Stahl) who lives in a small apartment in Brooklyn (New York) and starts by an accident of fate a brief relationship with a troubled young woman (D'Abo). The central idea of the movie - a discussion about love, solitude, passion and desire - is developed with good style by Mr Balaban - he really knows the job - but the final result is shallow dialogues, unconvincing situations, all this marred by a complete predictable and not original ending.I give this a 4 (four).

I only tuned into this movie on cable half or 1/3 way through it, so normally I wouldn't venture a comment. However, there are only two, so I will. I'd really like to see the whole thing through.This is a charming, life affirming movie. It operates well outside the stereotypes. It's the seventy year old, Armin Mueller-Stahl, who carries the movie. We are all aware of older men, maybe even this old, who charm younger women. But when they are this old they always need to be either seriously rich, or seriously famous and accomplished in movie land, and for that matter, general popular culture. Mueller-Stahl is none of those things -- although he is well educated, thoughtful, and a talented violin player -- a minor artist. What he is most of all though is a really good listener -- and someone who at root is kind and loving -- even if he had tended to withdraw into a cynical and loner shell.Of course the 20 something (Olivia D'Abo) has to be needy for there to be any chance of even a passing chemistry between them -- but she is. She gets beaten up by an abusive boyfriend who she knows is headed nowhere's ville with his lowlife criminal lifestyle. The Stahl - D'Abo relationship definitely is mostly father-daughter. But after his generosity, and concern, but lack of preachiness to her, she gives him what she knows will be a precious gift -- and it is.A sweet movie.(And I'm decades younger than Stahl.)

I had a bit of a mixed reaction to this film, but in the end, I feel that I have to recommend it, since it is so refreshing to see a film that is so leisurely paced. This is a well-made film, with a good story and solid performances, so it's the kind of movie where I would like to (but can't) overlook the major flaws. Unfortunately, the film isn't particularly memorable, and a film that is this slow does tend to make me watch the clock a little more often than usual. As you may have guessed, this is the kind of film for people who prefer to hear conversations instead of explosions in movies they watch. And while I wouldn't say that this is exceedingly effective as far as dialogue-driven films go, it does have two likable leads that make this a movie that is hard not to like.