We've talked a lot about Don McKellar and the stellar Canadian film masterpiece that is Last Night yet we haven't sat down and did a proper Canadian film review.
Last Night starts out with 6 hours to go before life comes to an end for everyone. How would you spend the last 6 hours of your life.
Patrick Wheeler (Don McKellar) will celebrate "Christmas" with his family but he really wants to be alone. Sandra (Sandra Oh) is shopping to cook one last dinner with her husband Duncan (David Cronenberg) before they kill each other. Duncan spends his time calling people thanking gas company customers for using their service.
Craig Zwiller (Callum Keith Rennie) is using his time to fulfill sexual fantasies. including his French teacher Mme. Carlton (Geneviève Bujold).
Last Night (1998) is an apocalypse film with the impending 2000 but in a mature fashion dealing with real people and what they might do in their last moments. The humour is dark; the thoughful content is a bit dark as well: after all, this is the end of the world. Don McKellar took the concept in some American films about the apocalypse and gave it a nice Canadian and Toronto twist.
McKellar includes some nice cameos such as Sarah Polley playing his little sister, Arsinée Khanjian as the Streetcar Mother, Bob Martin as a newscaster, and his long-time partner Tracy Wright as Donna.
Twitch City is where my love for Canada started
Canadian film review: Finding Don McKellar
My soft spot for Last Night came out of discovering Twitch City. I had seen Canadian films but not necessarily paying attention to them because they were Canadian. Last Night was the first Canadian film I saw through that lens. Having a definitive all-time best Canadian film is difficult but Last Night is always in the conversation. I have seen the film several times and find new things in the film every time I see the film.
The scenes with McKellar and Oh battle the concept of shared humanity, needing to feel close at the end.
The Filmmakers on CBC helps the audience to appreciate Canadian film
Season 1 of The Filmmakers shined the spotlight on Last Night. McKellar had a great quote about the distinct nature of making a Canadian film.
"Working in Canada, I have this discussion all the time with young people, if you're going to do it, then you better do it on your own terms. If you want to just make money, then you should go to the States because you're not going to do that here. What you do have here to compensate for that is control and the possibility to work with like-minded people and create a vision together that is distinctive. … "I feel it's a responsibility here for Canadians and if you're working in Canada, you better do something, you better take the reins and make something unique."
Last Night fits that concept. Everything you see are individual choices made by a writer-director. No Hollywood notes, no Hollywood ending. Last Night is a film by an artist with a message and done very well.
CanadianCrossing.com film reviews
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
Last Night is available in Canada on CBC Gem.
photos credit: Last Night film; video credit: YouTube/Volta VOD
Comments