The Last Time

Michael Caleo's background in writing for television shows in this flimsy little flick that despite a solid cast comes across as tired retelling of the bad guy to good guy to bad guy sequences. There are some good one-liners in the film, with a script that is so peppered with the 'f' word that it is crippled by it, but the story has been done before and much better and this time around the 'twist' is obvious from the film's opening lines.

Goofus-doofus Midwesterner Jaime (Brendan Fraser) has moved form Ohio to New York with his gorgeous girlfriend Belisa (Amber Valletta) to join a sales company whose chief salesman is foul mouthed, ill tempered Ted (Michael Keaton) who appears to loathe everyone and the world. Jaime is assigned to Ted, but Jaime's level of intelligence borders on idiocy and his fate with the company seems doomed...until Jaime introduces Belisa to Ted...and the romantic fireworks start. Ted falls for Belisa and begins to change his outlook, confiding his inner spirit as a professor of English literature to Belisa. A transformation takes place and as Jaime spirals downward while Ted and Belisa's affair ignites, role reversal happens as a not at all surprising plot unfolds.

Michael Keaton is a fine actor and makes the best of this mouthy role, but Brendan Fraser's talents are completely wasted - a hint from the start that all is not as it appears... It is a mediocre movie and even if the audience doesn't turn off the soundtrack to rid the script of the trashy language, it can become insulting to the intellect. But again, Keaton helps it float. Grady Harp

...before this film hit the production level.

I SUSPECT that this script was well-done. (though I couldn't find a copy of it anywhere.) The acting is what we would expect from top-tier actors. The directing seems excellent. But I suspect that somewhere between the film getting in the can and getting out the doorway...

...someone went at it with scissors. Or a blow torch. Either way, the race to the ending seems rushed and convoluted. Parts seem to be missing. Other parts don't seem to follow in order. Some parts are just plain missing.

Gotta hate those movies that end with you shaking your head and telling yourself "What the *@$ was that?" I felt sorry for those people that worked on the movie.

I usually agree pretty much with the IMDb-Ratings but in this case I find it really amazing that it only gets 6.3 points (08/07). Okay, sometimes when you don't expect too much (because of poor ratings you get surprised and tend to overrate it. I give it a perfect ten anyway. Why? This is a wonderfully drafted/crafted drama thriller with excellent acting (especially Michael Keaton). The twists are fantastic and so are the dialogue. (I envy the screenwriter and will keep track of the director's career, too!) It delivers a great insight into the everyday life of an (unsuccessful) salesman. If you loved Wall Street and have a soft spot for B movies, you will like this one even more than Wall Street. Watch it!

I did not think that this movie totally sucked. It was a thought provoking reflection of American culture and values. It causes one to wonder how far another human being will go to make money and how easily non-materialistic individuals in a capitalistically oriented culture can be duped by sharks that will rip them to shreds like defenseless bait. One weakness of the film was its depiction of women as greedy piranhas that only seek nourishment from money not love. There were no non-materialistic female characters in the film to balance out this theme resulting in a rather over-generalized characterization of women. If one can get past this problem, the premise that those obsessed with making money will go to unspeakable, evil lengths to attempt to satisfy their insatiable greed is an interesting theme to consider. If you rent the DVD expect to be entertained, but not completely enthralled.

After browsing through some titles online on Netflix, I watched The Last Time on a whim. Lately I've been enjoying romances and I also work in sales, so I thought this might be an interesting film for me personally. I wasn't expecting too much since the ratings are rather mediocre and I had never heard of this movie, but I am glad I gave it a look.

Michael Keaton is absolutely brilliant in this movie. He is the top salesman for a company and is driven by an inner rage that makes him successful. He is forced to take the bumbling Brendan Fraser under his wing and the fun begins. Keaton is great fun as this confident jerk who tells it like it is. His relationship with Fraser and Fraser's fiancé, however, pulls on Keaton's inner demons and he begins to change. I think the description of this film is best left at that.

The Last Time is a nice little psychological thriller with a touch of romance added to the equation. It is definitely worth a look. Rating 8 of 10 stars.