If you have heard anything about “The Last Kiss,” you may think it is just another “Garden State” replica: Zach Braff on a sweet, soul-searching journey to find his place in the world, with a beautiful brunette on his side and crazy friends to catch them when they fall. Well, in this film, he juggles two beautiful brunettes and instead of being sweet, the feel of the movie is very bitter.
Braff was praised by critics and fans for “Garden State,” the film he directed, wrote and starred in, not to mention served as the music producer. For “The Last Kiss” his only roles were as the starring actor and music. This was not the reason I liked the movie less, that reason was simply that I left the theater with tears in my eyes instead of a smile on my face for his sweet-natured “Garden State.”
“The Last Kiss” begins with telling us right away what each character is feeling and what they are going through. Braff’s character, Michael, announces to his girlfriend’s parents that they are going to have a baby. It takes less than five minutes to see the uncertainty in Michael’s eyes when he thinks about his future. Izzy (Michael Weston) is falling apart about his recent relationship being over with a girl he has been with since high school. Chris (Casey Affleck) is trying to make it work with his wife as they struggle to raise their child while constantly arguing about everything and anything. Kenny (Eric Christian Olsen), who plays the role of the ladies’ man, has the realization that he is almost 30-years-old and cannot behave recklessly forever.
All of the characters share a common characteristic: fear of growing up and that they would never have done something truly exciting with their lives. When Michael meets Kim (Rachel Bilson) he sees a glimmer of a chance to escape his routine lifestyle and share something with someone spontaneous and free. These two characters have chemistry right away and from the start the audience hates Kim, because you figure out the one and only reason she is there right as she appears on screen.
The problems that the couples face in this movie do not stop at the younger generation. Michael’s girlfriend Jenna (Jacinda Barrett, who gives an amazing performance) finds out that her parents’ marriage is slowly falling apart after 30 years.
Each character finds their own way of dealing with their doubts: Izzy decides to run away to South America and begs his friend Kenny to go with him, while blaming him for his doubts about his purpose in life. Kenny decides to run with him when the woman he thought was just there for the moment wants more from him. Chris decides to leave his wife because he can no longer handle the screaming and crying between them. We see Michael go back and forth between his love for Jenna and his desire to take a last chance at passion before he begins going through the motions of starting a family.
“The Last Kiss” has its sweet moments, but there are many more that are filled with unhappiness. The arguments between each couple in the movie are especially intense; the anger of being betrayed by the one you love was strong to be felt by this audience member. More than anything else, it shows the harsh reality of the consequences you face when lose sight of what you’ve been blessed with. There are both happy and sad endings in the film, which is much more true to life than most.
Despite the sad nature of the film, you find yourself falling in love with the characters and hoping they make the right decisions with their lives. The hesitation and insecurities they feel are very realistic and it is easy to understand why they do the things they do.
The soundtrack, selected by Braff, is one of the best out right now. The music of “Garden State” stayed on the charts for months and “Last Kiss” will most likely do the same. The slow, painful melodies combined with the sweet pop songs fit with each scene perfectly.
“The Last Kiss” is a film that allows us to feel every emotion on the spectrum: humor, love and sorrow. The combination of these make the film a wonderful experience, just remember to bring tissues.