The Last Supper

Never let it be said that only the British can do political satire. Here we see five (liberally-minded) housemates start poisoning all those who they believe will cause more harm than good in life.

Hardly a topic for comedy you might think, but then what you get is the blackest of black humour imaginable. However, it's not just darkly comic, but it also poses quite a few questions about morality along the way. You'll find yourself agreeing with both sides' points of view at some stage I'm sure.

Plus, all the performances are equally strong - Cameron Diaz in a most 'un-Cameron Diaz-like' role, but it's Ron Perlman and Bill Paxton who probably steal their respective scenes.

If you're looking for a laugh-a-minute comedy with a feel-good vibe to it, then steer clear. However, if you're after something much nastier which will make you think, while even raising the odd smile, then give this a go.

This is a wicked black political satire of some left-wing intellectuals who decide to strike against right-wing "extremists". It has an excellent cast, especially with Courtney B Vance, Ron Perlman, and Cameron Diaz (who is a real surprise).

It also has a brilliantly witty script, like a 90s Oscar Wilde or George B Shaw with more sharper bite. I thought the setup and the climax were particularly effective, especially at handling complex political questions with an easy-to watch and a very engaging approach(which I have to say IMHO is rare for American movies). A totally professional production all round. This is the way smart independent films should be, and it's a shame not all of them are this clever or perceptive.

Obviously not meant for all tastes, but if you're fairly open-minded and like intelligent dark satire, this is a real treat.

It was a warm summer night and I was in the video store with my girlfriend. " Hey, this movie has that guy Bill Paxton in it, isn't that the guy you like? " I thought I had seen every Paxton movie out there but I was pleasantly surprised that there was one that I hadn't seen. So we rented it and even though Bill has a small cameo in the film, I enjoyed this film more than I thought I would. First the acting by the major actors is incredible and all the cameos by famous faces is fun to watch. Luke ( Courtney B. Vance ) is my favourite character in the movie. He seems to be a little more intelligent, a little more sinister and a little more angry than the rest of them. And it is his persona that I look forward to seeing in every scene. I looked forward to see what he was going to come out with next. What sick, twisted but convincing point of view that he would coerce his cronies into believing.

The story is about a few friends that are liberals at heart. They have their pretentious meals and drink their pretentious wine every night and talk about what is wrong with the world. Then Paxton comes into the picture and he changes everything.

This film didn't get a whole lot of attention when it came out, but now with Paxton's star clearly on the rise after Titanic and A Simple Plan and Cameron Diaz in the upper echelon of actresses, this film may appeal to more people. And you should do yourself a favour and make yourself one of those people. This is a great film. And besides the entertainment value, it really has something interesting to say. Deciding whether or not you agree with it is half the fun.

"The Last Supper" has a lot going for it. It makes fun of both ultra-right-wingers and of self-righteous left-wingers. Like "The Sixth Sense", it uses the color red to carefully dye the house of the roommates until it appears to be dripping in blood. It shows the corruption of the mind which will inevitably occur as a result of murder, and it displays the old saw about how the road to Hell is paved in good intentions.

Problem? The acting is pretty dry. None of the roommates are remotely likable, and their inevitable comeuppance loses some of its punch as a result. All of the characters, both the executioners and their prey, are excessively one-sided and flat, and no one is making the slightest effort to give any of their characters depth. The result makes the film a bit hard to sit through.

This is a dark comedy/drama about extreme political views and intolerance. The point of the movie is that some people just wants to be told right and have whatever opinion they have prevail in society.

The message is supposed to be that both extremes are just as bad, and the arguments of both parts are just as simple minded and void of deep, that's intentional. But also that both have the right to exist and is healthy for a society to have a wide variety of opinions.

None of the characters are supposed to be geniuses or deliver any intelligent argument, on the contrary: they're meant to be very close minded. It's obvious that the characters are supposed to be opinionated, self righteous and vapid...not to mention over the top stereotypes (and i mean both the hosts and the guests). The movie itself it's an exaggeration to illustrate a point.

As the plot progresses the characters get more sucked into violent actions (by conviction or group pressure), the bodies start to pile up and the situation spirals out of control. The only character that is more on the normal side, is the cop/sheriff (Nora Dunn). Side note: I liked her performance by the way, and I usually don't like her acting, but she was OK in this one (although not very memorable).

I'm sad to see some of the people who made reviews for the movie didn't get what it was meant to say or bother to watch this all the way through (because it's mentioned in the movie near the end, in case you are a bit slow). But that is exactly the point of the movie, some people just wants to be told right and have whatever opinion they have prevail in society.

On the comedy side, it's got a mild feel of screwball without going too crazy with it, that was very enjoyable. To put this in other words: it doesn't go into Clue or Arsenic and old lace territory, is more subtle but is still noticeable. The comedy moments are very controlled, but is still very funny if you relax and just watch it, instead of taking sides.

To sum it up, the plot is original enough to be interesting and it's very funny if you don't get defensive. It delivers what was promised.