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Reviews
Last Call (2004)
old love, new love
Last Call is a psychologically unsettling film, confronting as it does that most endemic of human fears- dying alone, or unloved, or at the very least, without the knowledge of what perfect sexual passion can be. Yet it has at it's heart a kind of divine comedy and a loopy, unabashed, even childlike sense of possibility: To be hopeful that, at age 70, 75, 80, love is just around the corner, or at the end of a phone line, is quite a feat of optimism, and this film is brimming with exactly that kind of youthful anticipation. Ultimately, it's an uplifting experience. The performances range from comically absurd to genuinely touching and affecting, the costumes and production design are sleek, sexy and powerful in an octogenarian way, and the cinematography is moody, unflinching, and true to life without ever seeming unkind to it's subjects. Some people will be put off by the notion that 'Oldies' still yearn for love, and remain interested in the rituals and discoveries of seduction and yes, sex, but many more will be wise enough to look down the road at their own futures and find a new empathy and compassion for the 'senior citizens' they see- or rather don't see- every day.