'Last Kiss' covers common relationship ground
But as Jenna looks toward a future that seems to be falling comfortably into place, Michael starts seeing his options dwindling and his life becoming irrevocably scripted. He panics and looks for something to redirect his course.
That's the main plotline in "The Last Kiss," a funny but painful observation of relationships written by Paul Haggis, the director and Oscar-winning writer of "Crash," and directed by Tony Goldwyn ("A Walk on the Moon"). Michael flirts with college student Kim (Rachel Bilson) at a wedding, ignoring his conscience and reality.
If a girlfriend is pregnant in a duplex and he's not around, is that really his life?
"The Last Kiss" also involves Michael's friends: Chris (Casey Affleck), miserable in his marriage; Kenny (Eric Christian Olsen), who is single-handedly reviving the one-night-stand aesthetic of the '70s; and Izzy (Michael Weston), who's trapped in a family business he wants no part of and ignored by an ex-girlfriend he still wants.
Also weighing in with their own relationship problems are Jenna's parents, Anna (Blythe Danner) and Stephen (Tom Wilkinson). Jenna thinks their marriage is rock-solid, but Anna is about to shatter her illusions.
"The Last Kiss," a remake of an Italian hit, overflows with conversations, but it takes a while to get to the truth. Women say one thing and mean another. Men hesitate to speak up.
The honesty of "The Last Kiss" is often unpleasant to witness, but Haggis' script finds ways to make it palatable. One of the best things about the film is the depth of the relationships between the four young men. In real life and cinematic life, men are rarely credited with having the intentions of self-analysis; here, they do it together, supportively.
Braff doesn't just rehash his confused young man from "Garden State." Michael is harder, more ruthless, and yet he's vulnerable enough for the audience to sympathize with him. Barrett is shortchanged on screen time but displays a complex woman.
The standouts, however, are Affleck and Bilson. Affleck is heartbreaking as a man who knows he can't win in his situation.
Bilson is subtly seductive, and she does a fine job of showing how the newer model isn't necessarily an improvement.
The rest of the performances are engaging and convincing. Viewers may find some characters more or less appealing based on their own ages and experiences, but there's certainly something in here for anyone who likes a bit of reality mixed in with their clever dialogue.
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