Release Date: 5/6/11 (Limited)
Sam Worthington and Keira Knightley star in Last Night as married couple Michael and Joanna Reed. They attend a work party for Michael where Joanna meets Laura (Eva Mendes), one of his colleagues. Joanna watches them flirt all night and calls him out on it once they return home to their (sick) New York apartment. He insists nothing is going on and the next day leaves for a business trip to Philadelphia – which Laura will also be attending. After he leaves, Joanna runs into an ex-boyfriend, Alex Mann, played by Guillaume Canet (who directed, co-wrote, and acted in the awesome French thriller, Tell No One). Canet is super charming – a younger, sexier Patrick Dempsey. The movie then goes back and forth between Michael on his business trip and Joanna with her ex – both experiencing temptation but both wanting to remain faithful.
The plot is simple but the characters are completely engaging. Canet, who is well known in France, was a pleasant surprise (definitely my favorite character). He will hopefully be in a lot more American films to come. Knightley is endearing as the conflicted Joanna. She loves her husband dearly, but questions their marriage. She also loves Alex but doesn’t want anything to change between them. As someone who is not a huge fan of Worthington (Avatar, Terminator Salvation), he was good in this role. He’s quiet and doesn’t show a lot of emotion so it makes him difficult to read.
As the night goes on, there’s constant wonder if either of them will cheat. The audience learns about the relationship between Michael and Joanna – how they met and got married, and the relationship between Joanna and Alex, how they met and why they’re not together. Both relationships make both men likable. Laura shares some of her past with Michael as well, which definitely makes her seem more vulnerable and less of a whore.
This is Massy Tadjedin’s directorial debut. She also wrote the film, so congratulations to her for a job well done. The film moves steadily along, always holding the interest of the audience. The ending will make you scream – not in a good way, not in a bad way, but a scream nonetheless…maybe a groan or the throw of a pillow you were laying on. It’s an ending not to be missed, so you’ll have to see the film, too.
IMDB 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes 71%
Moviewiseguys 8.0/10
