In the span of one night in which a young married couple spend apart, each contemplates love, loyalty and adultery in Massy Tadjedin's "Last Night." Michael, played by Sam Worthington, is tempted by an attractive coworker who relentlessly makes passes at him. Joanna, played by Keira Knightley, runs into an ex-lover who was never really forgotten.
The film begins at a poshy party for really hot people which, to my surprise, turns out to be a friend's wake. There, Joanna watches jealously as Michael interacts with his attractive coworker. After having realized this is the woman Michael has been traveling with on business, she accuses Michael being attracted to her. Michael assures her she has nothing to worry about. Then, the film cuts back and forth between Joanna and Michael in a match up of whose actions are most sinful, and we wait two hours to see if one or both will cheat.
At the hotel, Michael attempts to call Joanna a couple times, but cant reach her. Is he hoping for her to answer and give him strength against temptation, or is he looking for an excuse to have a nightcap with his sexy coworker? Back home in New York, Joanna is seemingly innocent when she has dinner with an ex-boyfriend, Alex, and his friends. As they spend the night pet sitting, party hopping, and discussing resentments about their past, Joanna discovers it was never really over for Alex. She quickly realizes there's no question about what's left between them, but that the real question is what she will feel about the choice she makes.
I'm a little on the fence with this film. It brought up some really good questions about relationships and commitment. However, while the dialogue was passionate, it was not without it's flaws. Dialogue in a drama that discusses real issues like this one should share secrets, open doors and develop it's characters. Instead, the viewer can only make assumptions based on the characters' present choices and actions... and some very obvious body language. Take this film for what it is, a sexy, almost romantic chick flick, and enjoy!
