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Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
How many times have you seen this premise played out in film or other forms of entertainment: The world is going to end and there’s one last ditch plan or effort to save it (It inevitably succeeds, of course!); alternatively, the world has ended already and we’re left with post-apocalyptic society picking up the pieces. The premise is everywhere; the fascination with the end of days has been evident throughout our popular culture for decades. Yet, the thing about these two premises is that it avoids a (quite large) important question about the nature of the situation. What if our last ditch effort doesn’t succeed? What if there is no post-apocalyptic setting giving us hope for a re-built future. “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World”, a brand new film directed and written by Lorene Scafaria (“Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist”) attempts to focus on that gap often glossed over by apocalyptic fiction. It assumes there is no hope, there is a conclusion, and how do we deal with that?
It’s a comedy drama that pokes fun of the absurdity of a monotonous society coping with the conclusion of all civilization, while interweaving a touching romance between two people with broken pasts and deep regrets. Yet, it is a movie with some notable flaws, mainly in how it focuses its attention.
The premise is fairly simple, and rightly so. There is a large asteroid named “Matilda” barreling towards Earth and its impact will wipe out all life on our beloved planet. The film starts with the announcement that the last chance for Earth’s survival, a space mission to destroy the asteroid, has failed due to a fire on board the vessel. With only three weeks left to live, insurance salesman Dodge Peterson (Steve Carell) must decide how to spend the rest of his life. He decides to chase down an old highschool sweetheart and is accompanied by his neighbor, Penny (Keira Knightley) who wishes to return home to see her family one last time. They meet several characters in their roadtrip journey through pre-apocalyptica, including characters played by Rob Corddry and Martin Sheen.
The simple premise seems familiar due to its subject matter (C’mon, it’s 2012. I’m surprised there hasn’t been even more apocalypse movies flooding the theaters). Yet, strangely it feels fresh simply in how it handles itself. As said, most movies focus on the last daring mission to save mankind from certain destruction, or assumes that certain destruction really isn’t the end. People like to see hope, they don’t want to be confined by fate. This movie takes a different approach. Right off the bat it basically tells you there is zero hope, zero chance of getting out of this mess. Now what do you do? This particular premise lets comedy shine for the first two acts of the movie. There are subtle jokes, like the absurdity of naming a rock about to destroy all of mankind “Matilda”.
There are more traditional joke set-ups, favoring quick joke-punchline material that is mostly laugh-out-loud funny. And there is a fair amount of dark humor, simple funniness in the absurdity of how people treat the end of days. People mowing their lawns, still cleaning houses, even cops who continue to pull people over all poke fun of how people cannot let go of even the most monotonous of tasks that define their lift – regardless of how pointless they are due to the situation. Or the people who just let go and want to spend their last days without care, throwing themselves into orgies, drugs or riots. However, the tone of the drama limits the humor of the movie, favoring those kinds of moderate laughs over hysterical or hilarious moments. That’s the underlying issue of the film: that it feels like the humor is constrained due to fear of it undermining its drama.
Those who expect a comedy movie will only get two-thirds of one. And those who expect a drama movie will get mostly one. By no means does it fail at comedy or drama, but it just does not strike that delicate balance to be both in the same setting. The last act of the movie almost completely drops the comedy in favor of a dramatic and romantic conclusion. It’s not a huge fault, because the writing, and well-paced relationship development between the two main protagonists (Dodge and Penny), means that their inevitable romance seems natural, honest, and believable. The comedy is really only around in the first two thirds of the movie to try and keep your attention away from the obvious conclusion to their story – the fact that they end up together (and, perhaps, another conclusion entirely). So, when it does eventually happen, even though it was obvious from the start that it would, it does feel very endearing. The natural chemistry between Steve Carell and Keira Knightley is quite good, so buying their romance is not difficult in the slightest.
Yet, even still, that underlying issue keeps coming back. The fact that the comedy feels like a tool to facilitate a good dramatic ending ,instead of natural focus of the movie, undermines the experience for those who want to get some laughs. If there was a more natural balance between the romantic elements and comedy elements throughout the whole movie and not just the first two thirds, it could bring forth much more powerful comedy and/or drama. That way those who desire comedy or romance would be delighted to get a good deal of both intertwined.
I commend the film for how it handles the subject matter of inevitability. Even though it pokes fun at absurdity and really garners good laughs, it always has this underlying sense of regret, sadness and dread. You’re always reminded in the back of your mind that the world is going to end, but it does a good enough job pulling you into the characters’ last struggle to piece together their lives after decades of failure and regret that you end up really wanting to see them pull through somehow. Its last act is especially poignant, and definitely emotionally strong. Even though the themes of throwing away your past in favor of a happier future (despite it being such a short future) are not well concealed, they still end up being particularly strong. A film that can really make you appreciate what you have outside the film and the limited time you have left to enjoy it has to be commended for making you think.
“Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” is a fairly powerful romance drama that focuses on how people deal with loss, regret and the prospect of inevitable fate. More importantly, though, is that it focuses on how people can build something profoundly beautiful even in the last moments of their lives – regardless of their pasts or (lack) of future prospects. It has comedy in the movie, but it never really shines nor intertwines with the drama. They almost feel like two separate elements that struggle to mix together. Yet, the comedy is mostly laugh-out-loud funny and the drama is quite poignant and endearing. It definitely had the potential to make us laugh to tears or even bring us to tears through drama, but instead it settles for simply making us laugh and reflect.
It’s a comedy drama that pokes fun of the absurdity of a monotonous society coping with the conclusion of all civilization, while interweaving a touching romance between two people with broken pasts and deep regrets. Yet, it is a movie with some notable flaws, mainly in how it focuses its attention.
The premise is fairly simple, and rightly so. There is a large asteroid named “Matilda” barreling towards Earth and its impact will wipe out all life on our beloved planet. The film starts with the announcement that the last chance for Earth’s survival, a space mission to destroy the asteroid, has failed due to a fire on board the vessel. With only three weeks left to live, insurance salesman Dodge Peterson (Steve Carell) must decide how to spend the rest of his life. He decides to chase down an old highschool sweetheart and is accompanied by his neighbor, Penny (Keira Knightley) who wishes to return home to see her family one last time. They meet several characters in their roadtrip journey through pre-apocalyptica, including characters played by Rob Corddry and Martin Sheen.
The simple premise seems familiar due to its subject matter (C’mon, it’s 2012. I’m surprised there hasn’t been even more apocalypse movies flooding the theaters). Yet, strangely it feels fresh simply in how it handles itself. As said, most movies focus on the last daring mission to save mankind from certain destruction, or assumes that certain destruction really isn’t the end. People like to see hope, they don’t want to be confined by fate. This movie takes a different approach. Right off the bat it basically tells you there is zero hope, zero chance of getting out of this mess. Now what do you do? This particular premise lets comedy shine for the first two acts of the movie. There are subtle jokes, like the absurdity of naming a rock about to destroy all of mankind “Matilda”.
There are more traditional joke set-ups, favoring quick joke-punchline material that is mostly laugh-out-loud funny. And there is a fair amount of dark humor, simple funniness in the absurdity of how people treat the end of days. People mowing their lawns, still cleaning houses, even cops who continue to pull people over all poke fun of how people cannot let go of even the most monotonous of tasks that define their lift – regardless of how pointless they are due to the situation. Or the people who just let go and want to spend their last days without care, throwing themselves into orgies, drugs or riots. However, the tone of the drama limits the humor of the movie, favoring those kinds of moderate laughs over hysterical or hilarious moments. That’s the underlying issue of the film: that it feels like the humor is constrained due to fear of it undermining its drama.
Those who expect a comedy movie will only get two-thirds of one. And those who expect a drama movie will get mostly one. By no means does it fail at comedy or drama, but it just does not strike that delicate balance to be both in the same setting. The last act of the movie almost completely drops the comedy in favor of a dramatic and romantic conclusion. It’s not a huge fault, because the writing, and well-paced relationship development between the two main protagonists (Dodge and Penny), means that their inevitable romance seems natural, honest, and believable. The comedy is really only around in the first two thirds of the movie to try and keep your attention away from the obvious conclusion to their story – the fact that they end up together (and, perhaps, another conclusion entirely). So, when it does eventually happen, even though it was obvious from the start that it would, it does feel very endearing. The natural chemistry between Steve Carell and Keira Knightley is quite good, so buying their romance is not difficult in the slightest.
Yet, even still, that underlying issue keeps coming back. The fact that the comedy feels like a tool to facilitate a good dramatic ending ,instead of natural focus of the movie, undermines the experience for those who want to get some laughs. If there was a more natural balance between the romantic elements and comedy elements throughout the whole movie and not just the first two thirds, it could bring forth much more powerful comedy and/or drama. That way those who desire comedy or romance would be delighted to get a good deal of both intertwined.
I commend the film for how it handles the subject matter of inevitability. Even though it pokes fun at absurdity and really garners good laughs, it always has this underlying sense of regret, sadness and dread. You’re always reminded in the back of your mind that the world is going to end, but it does a good enough job pulling you into the characters’ last struggle to piece together their lives after decades of failure and regret that you end up really wanting to see them pull through somehow. Its last act is especially poignant, and definitely emotionally strong. Even though the themes of throwing away your past in favor of a happier future (despite it being such a short future) are not well concealed, they still end up being particularly strong. A film that can really make you appreciate what you have outside the film and the limited time you have left to enjoy it has to be commended for making you think.
“Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” is a fairly powerful romance drama that focuses on how people deal with loss, regret and the prospect of inevitable fate. More importantly, though, is that it focuses on how people can build something profoundly beautiful even in the last moments of their lives – regardless of their pasts or (lack) of future prospects. It has comedy in the movie, but it never really shines nor intertwines with the drama. They almost feel like two separate elements that struggle to mix together. Yet, the comedy is mostly laugh-out-loud funny and the drama is quite poignant and endearing. It definitely had the potential to make us laugh to tears or even bring us to tears through drama, but instead it settles for simply making us laugh and reflect.
Andrew Furlong (14 KP) rated Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home (1986) in Movies
Sep 27, 2017
An absolutely ridiculous premise, turned into an actually good film (4 more)
Lots of "funny fish out of water" comedy
Every character gets their moment to shine
The whale probe has an aura of mystery about it
Infectiously upbeat
Not as thematically engaging as previous films (2 more)
May be too light for some
Saavik is dropped randomly
The funniest Trek
"The one with the whales" might seem ridiculous at first glance, but it's played with such sincerity and heart from the cast that it becomes genuinely funny and endearing. A great crowdpleaser.
Britt LaShea (5 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Jan 8, 2018
Awesome Movie
This movie I had high hopes for and it did not disappoint. The acting was superb, nobody overacted or tried to steal the show. Gal Gadot was a perfect casting choice for Wonder Woman.
There was action, comedy and a little bit of romance. It balanced out quite well in this movie. I have watched it three times and each time I come out with something new from it. I hope the other movies in the franchise are just as good.
There was action, comedy and a little bit of romance. It balanced out quite well in this movie. I have watched it three times and each time I come out with something new from it. I hope the other movies in the franchise are just as good.
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) in Movies
Jan 11, 2018
British comedy at its best
One of the greatest comiedies ever written. British legend John Clese and his merry gang so to speak create this 19070's era spoof on king arthur and his merry knights. His humor was different for it's time but really was the beginning for shows and movies like Police Squad and Airplane. If you haven't seen it and are a movie fan this is a must watch. If you need a good laugh this is a must watch or if it's on tv just watch it you wont regret it.
Shaun Collins (3 KP) rated Doctor Who: Renaissance of the Daleks in Books
Jan 12, 2018
Ambitious, but over reaching. The story can't really make up it's mind tonally what it's going for. One minute there are cute wind up Daleks over running the console room (which felt like it would have been great comedy) the next are horrible implications of preventing the Dalek invasion of Earth from happening (which aren't as serious as the story makes out). The result is a bit of a muddled mess. Enjoyable, but swinging the pendulum either way toward spoof or full blown Dalek mayhem would have helped immensely.
Movie Critics (823 KP) rated Get Out (2017) in Movies
Apr 14, 2017
Get Out is a comment on a highly complex situation that’s also a total blast
Critic Review by Olly Richards - Empire
Original Score: 4 out of 5
Excerpt:
Its primary function is as a horror movie with shades of comedy, and it succeeds superbly. A lot of its deeper messages, which you could pick apart ad nauseum, only really bubble to the surface in thinking about it after. Peele’s a rare director who can combine big ideas with big fun.
Full review: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/get-2/review/
Original Score: 4 out of 5
Excerpt:
Its primary function is as a horror movie with shades of comedy, and it succeeds superbly. A lot of its deeper messages, which you could pick apart ad nauseum, only really bubble to the surface in thinking about it after. Peele’s a rare director who can combine big ideas with big fun.
Full review: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/get-2/review/
Bird (1700 KP) rated Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) in Movies
May 4, 2017
You can watch it 20 times (I have) and still find new gems of comedy genius (5 more)
The writing, quite unsurprisingly, is brutally intelligent
It manages to tickle your ribs at every opportunity
If you don't normally like Python, you can just remember bits of dialogue and sound like the master of wit in front of your friends.
Roger the shrubber, the Black Knight, coconuts, French insults and African Swallows. It's all in there!
Will distort your view of Arthurian legend forever
Makes Ben Hur Look Like An Epic!
Cai Tinsley (3 KP) rated Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) in Movies
Jul 15, 2017
Tom Hollands performance (3 more)
The downtime that shows that spidey is still a kid
A back story and characterisation for the villian
The comedy
Battle scenes that don't have suspense (2 more)
Repetitive battle scenes
Feels really out of place in the timeline
The Best Spider-Man yet?
Honestly, this is not as good as Sam Raimi's Spider-man 2 which is amazing but it is in close second/third out of them all. I'm not saying this film isn't enjoyable because it is but it just was okay, very simple and unique, like deadpool per say.
Pete (121 KP) rated Ant-Man (2015) in Movies
Jul 28, 2017
Paul Rudd (3 more)
Michael Douglas
Falcon
Giant Thomas the tank engine
Alot better than expected
Wasn't expecting to enjoy the film as much as i did. Comedy and fight scenes were brilliant. The scenes of a small nature made the film even better. It was obvious who the bad guy was to be in the film but how they portrayed him was very poor, kinda your basic old school villain, not what the film needed. Then there was the big Thomas..... loved it lol
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Season 1 in TV
Aug 9, 2017
Titus Andromedon - literally my favourite character (1 more)
John Hamm is such a good villain
Slightly ridiculous, over the top comedy
While this series is rather funny and watchable, there are times it's utterly cringe-worthy and I really did not like how the court scenes were handled. It's an incredibly dark topic, which writer Tina Fey does an almost excellent job of hilarity, but it falls short because it should never have been done given the horrible spate of male violence against women, and women being held against their will.