4:44 Last Day on Earth

How would you spend your last days on Earth if you knew the world was going to be destroyed in the morning? That's the premise in Abel Ferrara's (King of New York, Bad Lieutenant) claustrophobic new movie, starring Willem Dafoe and newcomer Shanyn Leigh in where the two play a Manhattan couple coming to terms with their final moments of existence.

Ferrara's choice to shoot the majority of the film in one setting with a minimal amount of takes made me feel as if I were watching a play - not at all a bad thing, especially when the lead actor is Dafoe. This play setting, along with the 'the sky is falling' scenario practically begs for fueled performances to which both Dafoe and Leigh delivered. The actors made the most of their surroundings and turned their emoting skills on high, only occasionally finding themselves being caught in fits of overacting. This is where the movie falters, when the attention pays too much to the acting and not the scenario. Still, the little bursts of over-the- top moments weren't enough to detract me from the movie as a whole.

Fans of both doomsday scenario movies and movies that show close-ups of Willem Dafoe's pubic region should walk away eerily pleased from this one.

OK so the flick is far from perfect but it does make you think. The main characters are not the types you would invite to dinner. The female artist is totally absorbed in her painting even though the end is soon to come. She only takes a break for sex, Chineese takeout or, to consult with Mom after a spat with her much older boyfriend. The boyfriend at least makes an effort to connect with family and friends as the clock winds down to zero hour.It is very gritty from the scenes in the couple's loft to the city streets. Made for interesting conversation between my wife and me afterwords. Worth a look on a rainy day.

This is a film where the title sounds good, but the writing and execution suck. Supposedly something (humanity's destruction of the environment) is leading to rapid ozone depletion and it will disappear at 4:44. At this point the writer, having no idea what the ozone layer is and how it works, says the world will end (though how is never stated). Having totally misrepresented the science (since even with no Ozone layer, life would initially continue and man could adjust, though in 5-10 years the global effects would be bad), the rest of the script goes into a tailspin as well. For a planet where it's predicted everyone will die at some specific time within one-day ... life seems to be getting on pretty well (at least what we can see of it since the scenes all take place in the females apartment so, other than TV shots or the few rooftops shots near the end). I mean come on now, would someone be sitting on a TV show calmly discussing the end minutes before it comes? This movie seems to be more of something shoved together so the directors wife (the female star) could say she was in a movie. Not worth watching.

The ecologically devastated world will end at 4:44 h of the next day. In New York, the fifty and something year-old Cisco (Willem Dafoe) and his younger wife Skye (Shanyn Leigh) spend their last day together in their apartment, waiting for the coming doomsday.

"4:44 Last Day on Earth" is a boring and dramatic movie by Abel Ferrara disclosing the last day on Earth of a couple of lovers in New York. The movie seems to be sponsored by the Skype with many calls from their apartment using this software. The uninteresting plot is basically a filmed storyline with the usual use of religious images by Ferrara and nothing else. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "4:44 - O Fim do Mundo" ("4:44 - Last Day on Earth")

This is one of those movies that requires rapt attention to the screen and the ability to "just get into it" and accept it for what it is. After about 20 minutes it grew on me. You need to try to put yourself in their position, not just watch it as an observer.

Yes, it could have been done better or differently, and could have covered a lot more psychological ground, but it worked for me in its own context. The director had a consistent vision, even if some viewers will never get it.

The attitudes of some external characters seemed oddly upbeat and that wasn't explained, but maybe that's how it would be for some. The casters may have studied people in the real world who knew they were going to die, so the world essentially ends for them anyhow. That may be worse than knowing everyone else is coming with you. There are endless psychological angles to this plot.

The vague technical explanation for the world's condition reminded me of "The Road" but little else about it resembled that film. I thought the acting was plenty good and the sparseness of characters and dialog (except for numerous Skype scenes) fit the mood that was created.

Just give a try and don't watch it with shallow, loudmouth people interrupting (I can't see it doing well in a typical theater setting). You may find it quite compelling and it could make you appreciate life more. That's the main effect it had on me.