These Final Hours

Australia is pretty good at delivering end-of-the-world movies, and whilst These final hours may not be the best of them, it definitely makes it into the top league of the genre. Some elements, like the doomsday background episodes, or the radio commentary are pretty cliché, but the two leads are very good, and their interaction makes for a very watchable movie. In fact, the "Watch me until you can't see me" scene towards the end is the most moving one I have seen in this genre, and it is well worth watching this film for that scene alone.

Not knowing anything about it, I decided to check "These final hours", and I am glad I did.

It's a rather powerful drama about the end of the world. Meteorite had hit North America and firestorm is spreading from there, destroying most of the world. Australia only has few hours left before firestorm finally hits it's territory, destroying entire world completely.

Movie fallows James, a man with troubled past, man filled with loneliness and emptiness in his life. He is accompanied with little girl looking for her dad. What fallows is series of event that eventually lead James on the path of his own redemption and realization of what wrongs he did in his life, but, as time is running out, he races with time (or firestorm) to right the wrongs of his life, or at least some of them.

There could be some theories why he picks up little girl, but it's most likely that his "fatherhood" instinct kicks in after saving little girl Rose, since at the beginning of the movie we find out that his girlfriend is pregnant, and since world will end in just a few hours, Rose ends up being his surrogate daughter.

It should be noted that while movie deals with apocalyptic theme, it also gives a fair amount of hope for viewers as well as it's characters, via character (or rather voice) of radio host who informs people when firestorm is going to hit. It's a nice element, since radio host is basically a narrator of the movie.

Music is terrific and rather beautiful, especially at the end. Great acting from Nathan Phillips, Jessica de Gouw and Angourie Rice.

There are some special qualities in this end-of-the-world enactment. The main plus is that this is a large scale fable of the last days on earth that moves well. It never gets stuck on one theme, except the disruption of the leading character's relationships, which also signals the end of what is known about 'personal' life under would-be normal circumstances. There really is a fully owned dramatization of the total dislocation of normal society - & this is possibly among the best of such dramatizations. There is a faithfulness to the screenwriter's vision that's pretty awesome. Also awesome is some really good acting from the leading man, who gets convincingly tearful at the prospect of being parted from a 7-year old girl who'd become his charge through the course of the story's development. The imminent end of things near and dear is very well brought across, with hardly any mucking about in minor sub-plots.

I did not see a good Australian film, I am not sure for how long. Finally a great film comes by. I enjoyed it very much. Great cast of characters, great acting, especially by the principal actor. Story is interesting, although I saw many apocalyptic films on the same theme before. That idea is as old as the film itself.

I am glad that film is set in Perth, it is one of great Australian cities, although a little bit isolated. Editing makes Ice arena and Library close by, although they are not in the reality.

I strongly recommend that you see this film. Good Australian films are few and far between. Not only because of that, but if you are interested in the apocalyptic films, this one is definitely for you!

I have been downloading/renting movies for yrs and using these ratings to decide if I should invest in the bandwidth/Cost. Felt it was time to contribute as this movie was way above what I expected. I am a SCI Fi/End of the world/Zombie movie lover and this totally entertained and kept my attention beginning to end.

This move met all my expectations and I could not stop watching till the end. And was the reason for me to create the account and add the review.

I recommend it. And have a few tissues waiting... it sure jolted my heart in the end. I know... being a guy I am not supposed to cry :)

Go/rent... whatever.. it's worth it

Well done to all involved... great movie. 8/10