The Last Kiss

Synopsis: Chasing the supercharged highs and lows of a series of relationships amongst twenty-somethings, The Last Kiss questions the continuing validity of the institution of marriage. While Carlo and Giulia, both on the cusp of thirty, face the realities of impending parenthood, Giulia's mother decides to separate from her husband and start over, before it's too late.

Although I hate to generalize, there's a quality inherent in the residents of continental Europe that us Australasians cannot match. When it comes to passion, or more specifically, the outward expression of passion, Europeans have us Oz-landers beat hands down. The Last Kiss, a huge success in its native Italy is as passionate as a film can come, both thematically and in its execution.

The combination of Claudio Di Mauro's rapid fire editing and Paulo Buonvino's vibrant score sets the escalated pace early on in this intellectual soap-opera, and for the two hour running time this pace rarely lets up. The narrative weaves through the intertwined lives of eight protagonists resulting in a deceptively acute look at love, adultery, abandonment, and a few not-so-little white lies. Marcello Montarsi's crisp photography captures these age-old themes with a fresh perspective, working in unison with the other production elements.

While the whirlwind pace of the proceedings does get dizzying, Muccino always treats his characters (and their problems) with the respect they deserve, leaving any judgement of their motivations, however dubious, to the viewer. The overly enthusiastic Carlo (Stefano Accorsi) is at once a likeable rogue and an immature whelp, scared of the usual things; responsibility, commitment, banality. Giulia (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), his firey partner, is the perfect foil, although her compromise in the final act seems slightly against character. Unfortunately, the majority of females in the film do settle for less, while the males seem to do what they please. Carlo survives the fallout of his cold feet, his friends get to drop all responsibility and take off leaving their wives and girlfriends to pick up the pieces and Giulia's father patience is rewarded when his wife returns.

Nevertheless, this heightened emotional reality is an entertaining space to spend a couple of hours. Both Muccino's script and direction are assured and balanced, giving the viewer a look at the sometimes problematic relationship between marriage and love. Although no earth shattering conclusions are reached, he certainly doesn't shy away from the emotional consequences of having his characters live their life to the fullest.

 

 

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