Genres

Visitors Review

raymond-15 2012-05-23 03:07:20

Not my kind of film

Reminiscence is the basic theme of this black comedy. Consequently, themajor part of this film is in flashback as four elderly men, all goodfriends, recall all the memorable times they spent together with their goodfriend Jack Dodds, the local butcher. Jack is no more, though his presenceis still felt. His ashes are in a canister no bigger than a tea caddy. Itwas jack's dearest wish to have his ashes scattered at Margate, a seasidetown he loved.So this film is very much like a road movie as we share their conversationwhile they speed along the highway to Margate. And yes, Jack's ashes arewith them.The story gets very confusing at times because it deals with two generationsand the flashbacks are many, jumping in and out of the picture. The facesof the five men in the leading roles are matched rather well with those ofthe younger actors playing those roles in earlier days, but it requiresconsiderable concentration to recognize the characters and theirrelationship with each other. One wonders if it is really worth thetrouble.Michael Caine as the butcher gives his usual reliable performance as doesHelen Mirren and the others, but they are worthy of better material. Ithought the fisticuffs scene was irrelevant and embarrassing to watch. However, there are some memorable moments. For example when Ray is overcomewith grief and can scarcely contain himself and when Jack's wife Amy informsher handicapped daughter that this is the last visit. And then there's themost moving scene of all on the wharves at Margate and just those two words"Goodbye Jack".

2012-05-22 15:22:26

It's wonderful to see the brilliant, complex Schepisi back with a powerhouse film.

Without ever being pretentious, the monumentally talented Schepisi alwayschooses to entertain and engage the intellect and emotions of those whoarewilling to think and feel. After too long an absence, we can finallyagainjoyfully participate in the viewing of a new masterwork. Fromperformancesto cinematography to script to production values to score to every detailofthe movie LAST ORDERS is an incredibly finely honed work. An explorationofthe shades of men's camaraderie and commitment, the patchwork of theirlives, the paths taken or lost it is, in Schepisi's hands, a template forsentiment without sugar and depth without pomposity. No matter what one'sage or gender this is a film to seek out and see more thanonce.

2012-05-19 03:04:09

Great Film for those who are in the end game

It's not surprising to see that as people age, they rate this film increasingly positively. It's a journey of reflection andremembrances - as the actors characters takes us into theirmemories of their relationship of their deceased, lifelong pal andas they carry out their "last orders" we are taken into a series ofmemories. It's impossible to view this film and not reflect on onesown important friends and significant memories. And, there areother themes ... the particular loss that parents feel at the untimelydemise of one of their children, the difficulties of an adopted childto find his place in the family. This film is carried off with a realismand warmth that will bring tears. The Cockney accents are difficult-- flow with the film and you'll understand most of it anyway. Theacting is superb. This should be the type of film that gets theAcademy Award.

phiggins 2012-05-18 05:24:15

Interesting

It is a truth universally acknowledged that books that win the BookerPrizetend to be a bit crap. They tend to be "meditations" like Graham Swift's"Last Orders" rather than mind-blowing, eye-popping, genre-busting,era-defining classics like "Money" and "Trainspotting". They tend to bebooks that a committee would like. Or, indeed, that a committee wouldwrite. And so, when it comes to turning them into films (why?) it's notsurprising that the result is not really going to set the world on fire."Last Orders" is a pleasant enough film, full of fine performances, goodcinematography, excellent use of flashbacks (and even flashbacks withinflashbacks), but somehow it leaves you thinking "So what?". The plotmeanders along nicely enough, filling in details as it goes, revealingsecrets and lies along the way.The entire cast acquit themselves admirably, investing every scene withjustthe right amount of emotion and drama. But the film is lacking something,and several characters seem irrelevant to it: David Hemmings' character inparticular. It's a fine performance by Hemmings (and his eyebrows) but itserves little or no function. It feels like he's just there to make upthenumbers. Both his big scenes (crying in the Gents and fighting RayWinstonein the field) are of no use to the plot.There are worse films around at the moment, and you have to give allconcerned credit for trying, but this would have worked a lot better as aTVdrama, spread over a few nights, giving us more time to get to know thecharacters and care more about their relationships.Incidentally, for those people who know SE15, the film affords particularpleasures with its cameo appearances by Peckham's Wishing Well pub and thegood old Cave of Spirits.

steele-12 2012-05-13 23:48:05

a lovely bit of film work

I saw this film some months ago. My memory of it casts a warm glow. It'sveryclosely rendered from the book, which quite appropriately won the BookerPrize.This is a film which lends its pace to viewing on Video/DVD. The actingandediting are superb. It will endure!

Andy 2012-05-13 20:49:08

Closing time, who will buy the last round?

Friends. Not just ones that we occasionally see on the weekends, butthose that buy you a round when they know you are blue, those that havelived their life right next to yours, those that will not quit evenwhen you want them to forget about you – those are the friends thatremain constantly in your mind. In "Last Orders" we have a uniqueopportunity to see a group of four friends escape their lives to takeone of their greatest friends (and family) to his final resting place.Using a flashback technique that teeters on confusing at times, wewitness six of our greatest actors dive deep into the hearts and soulsof the characters they are portraying. For once, in cinematic history,we see a story unfold that each and every one of the actors support, aswell as contributes more than 100% to their respected roles. This isn'ta perfect film, but the flaws are overshadowed by the actors. Each andevery one of the actors in this film carried their weight (and thensome) as we felt our heartstrings pulled and friendship refreshed.As already mentioned, the acting in this film is superb. It reminds meof discovering that perfect bottle of wine – all the characteristics ofthe blend are working in unison, creating a masterpiece out of whatwould be nothing more than than just your standard bottle of grapes.The core of this film is bland. "Last Orders" will not impress you withphenomenal storytelling or scenes that will demand your full attention– in fact – if it weren't for the actors who took their subsequentroles in this film – I probably would have fallen asleep shortly afterthe credits. "Last Orders" is a dry film. There is no denying that, butwhat sets the bar are the actors. Michael Caine and Bob Hoskins givethe performances of their careers in this little independent film thatshould have seen more attention.. Helen Mirren continues to prove thatshe is one of those diamonds in the rough when it comes to small roles.She can handle either the big stuff or the small stuff, she continuesto give her full ability each time. The rest of the cast, Tom Courtenayand David Hemmings, make this group of friends even more thoughtful.Then, there is Ray Winstone. I have always appreciated his work sinceseeing him in "Sexy Beast", and this film just brought him to a wholenew appreciative level. He works, along with the rest of the players inthis film, to ensure that their heart and minds are diving theircharacters into our hearts. It is amazing that even with a weak script,this film was made better by those involved both behind the camera andin front of it.With this applause for the actors, of which I can continue, but wouldsound like a repetitive critic, I must say that I wasn't impressed withthe story. I thought that director Fred Schepisi did a decent job withthe imagery, long viewing landscapes accompanying our lush actors, butthis story was a challenge to create as a screen writer. Throughout hiscommentary, he talks about how he felt he had to guide the audiencebetter through the flashbacks – there were quite a bit of them – butwithout giving us the proper guidance, we just jumped. That was toughbecause we weren't fully introduced to the "younger" version of thecharacters with the respect that we were with the older generation. Attimes we jumped with no reason, coupling our minds to be both confusedas well as needing immediate readjustment to the situation. One momentwe were in a Mercedes driving, the next we were in a doctor's bed, thefollowing we were in a war scene. For the casual viewer, this wouldhave been a difficult transition to follow. For me, the jumps seemedtoo sporadic, too forced to push the story. Unlike the book, eachchapter isn't dedicated to each character, we must juggle the time, andI think Schepisi could have accomplished this task better. He pickedthe right actors to play younger versions of their subsequent actors,but it took some time to make sure that we, the audience, knew who wewere working with. It was a struggle for this film, and it nearly – forme – took away from the phenomenal-ness of the actors.There were other issues with this film with continuity and placement,some of which are typical in any budget of a film, but others occurreddue in part to the constant change of time. It is hard to change timeas often as Schepisi does without missing some details, and again, itdistracted in this film. The pacing seemed lacking, I don't rememberthe book being as dull in some points, but I think it was becauseSchepisi didn't want to overload us with so much information. The scenewith the actors in the Mercedes as they drive to their friend's finaldestination was beautifully framed, amazingly acted, but seemedextended, dull, and a bit drawn out. That, for me, best summarizes thisfilm. Acting and vision were impressively intense, but the film seemedto slip because of structural issues.Overall, I liked this film, but could not say that I loved it. I willstand behind "Last Orders" as a film that boasts the best acting fromsome of our most unique actors, but Schepisi could have done a betterjob behind the camera. If it weren't for the actors, this film wouldhave drastically fallen. I am glad that our director pushed for greatactors, but I think it is in part because he knew the story wasn't asstrong as he wanted. This was no "Six Degrees of Separation" or"Roxanne", it stands on its own – it just isn't sturdy enough.Grade: *** out of *****

stuart-bennett 2012-05-12 18:52:19

Last Orders

Would have to agree with the last comments that another viewing of thefilm is to be recommended.Helen Mirren is terrific along the majorityof the cast.I liked the way the characters where portrayed as veryordinary working class people with a number of twists to the storywhich where revealed in the flashbacks to another era of theirlives.their are one or two surprises along the way as well.The film isvery well made and beautifully shot and the young actors are a creditto themselves.I found the scattering of the ashes at Margate pier verypoignant and emotional and it really rammed home the fact that thesepeople where very good friends indeed.well worth watching i thought.

btm1 2012-05-12 06:25:52

A character study par excellence.

Perhaps because I don't, it always amazes me how well some really goodauthors (Shakespeare of course, and Ann Tyler come to mind) understandthe complexities of the human condition. Fred Schepisi wrote thescreenplay for "Last Orders" (he also is the Director) based on theBooker prize winning novel of the same name by Graham Swift. That iswhat this film is about - the complexities of people's dealings witheach other and dealing with their own thoughts, plans, memories, andregrets.The title refers to a request Jack (double Oscar winner Michael Cain)left for his ashes to be scattered at Margate (a historic Britishseaside resort). Jack had an outwardly effervescent personality thatcaused friends he had made in his youth (he came of age just before thestart of World War II) to remain life-long friends. Despite the war, inmany ways those years of beginning their adult lives were the best inthese people's lives. Perhaps that is the case for the majority ofpeople.They had their futures to look forward to. One was a prizefighter whonever had more than modest success. Another (the most steadfast of thefriends) starts out as a funeral director and that seems to satisfy hisdesires. Jack, a butcher, inherited his business from his father andalways dreamed that his own son would enter the business as well, butthat's not what the son wants. He and his wife, Amy (Dame HelenMirren), also have a mentally defective daughter who has beeninstitutionalized since childhood. One of the significant conflicts isthat Jack and Amy have opposite ways of dealing with that tragedy. Amydecides not to accompany the group when they take the ashes to Margate.Ray (Bob Hoskins), who Jack nicknamed "Lucky" because he pulled Jackinto a trench half a second before a bullet would have struck him,owned a motorcar business but is more interested in playing the horses,with which he has had some success. He has a daughter who many yearsago moved to distant Australia after falling in love with an Australianof questionable prospects, and they stopped writing years ago. Ray'swife had divorced him after she learned that Ray had assisted thenewlyweds financially in their move to Australia.These loves and conflicts are revealed piecemeal via flashbacks as theindividuals contemplate, and it is our coming to realize thatrelationships are more complex than what they seem on the surface.Not only is the screenplay based on a great novel, the cast is anensemble of some of the most respected British actors, who all aregreat in their roles. They cast JJ Feild as the youthful Jack, and hestrongly resembles Michael Caine in his early films. One warning: Some of the British colloquialisms and references may beunfamiliar to an American audience.

David Goody 2012-05-09 02:50:32

A fine cast saves an uneventful film

Many a time has a cinemagoer been presented with the dilemmaof spending an evening down the pub with fond friends or going tosee the latest film on a Friday night. Last Orders presents theperfect compromise between the two, with the prospect ofspending two hours in the boozer with Michael Caine, BobHoskins, David Hemmings, Ray Winstone and Tom CourtneyThe story focuses on how a family butcher played by MichaelCaine's friends remember him after his death, and through aheavy dose of the tried and tested flashback formula we see hislife over a period of 50 years from his youth as a cotton pickingJude Law look-a-like to the old(er) Caine we know and love.through this we see how the relationships between the five friendshave developed through affairs, fights, denial, separation and, ofcourse, masses of booze. These recollections are threadedaround a journey to scatter his ashes at the pier at Margate.Director Fred Schepsi makes Last Orders a serenely paced affair,with few twists or surprises thrown in across the massivetime-span covered. What this allows is a realistic sense ofcamaraderie between the characters to appear as scenes slowlyplay out in bars across the years. The meaty British thespian talenton show clearly enjoys the chance to show their chops with adecent script and quality actors to work with. Ray Winstoneportrayal of Caine's alienated son allows the actor to show hislesser seen sensitive side, whilst David Hemmings' brandysoaked performance and outlandish eyebrows (you'll swear theyare about to crawl off his forehead at any moment) are particularlymemorable.More than anything the film has the feel of a distant memory of aparticularly drunken evening being retold by a friend. The jokesdon't seem quite as funny as they clearly were at the time and theseismic events seem more common place than people'sreactions would have indicated. However more than anything atrue sense of warmth and compassion comes across, and it isdifficult not to empathise with the characters.Last Orders is unlikely to set pulses racing, but the averagecinemagoers extreme fondness for the magnificent cast allows itto escape death by dry worthiness and become an enjoyably downto earth pleasure that will leave you sad to be heading home onyour own when the projectionist calls last orders and the lights goup.7/10

ladidah 2012-05-08 15:22:57

Just a quick bit of trivia... includes a spoiler

The pier (young) Jack and (young) Amy visit is not Margate Pier at all.It's actually Eastbourne pier, in all its restored glory.This is because at the end, when they do go to Margate to scatter Jack'sashes, a comment is made about how Margate pier is no more. Which is true.So there's no way earlier scenes could have been filmed there. EastbourneBorough Council is given a credit in the 'thankyous' at the end of thefilm,in recognition of this fact.

cascara 2012-05-05 12:51:13

Incredible cast, wonderful direction

For the average American movie-goer, this film has three strikes againstit.It's about old people, whom young Americans are conditioned to consider asuseless and stupid. It's about death -- real death, notfake-blood-splattering death. And it's about the pleasures, heartbreaks,andgeneral messiness of lifelong friendships which are generally nonexistentinmodern America. But for the adventurous souls who dare to dine here, LastOrders is a feast. The cast gives lessons in the art of screen acting, andthe director shows us how simply and effectively flashbacks can tell astory. The working-class, British accents sometimes render the dialogueunintelligible to American ears, and the jokes are sometimes obscure, butthe feelings are always genuine, and the sense of lives lived, in youthandin old age, always rings true. Bob Hoskins creates another classiccharacter. Michael Caine can do no wrong. Helen Mirren's beauty can't beconcealed by the heaviest of age makeup. Tom Courtenay is brilliantlyunderstated. And David Hemmings eyebrows are awesome!

Philby-3 2012-05-04 20:09:54

Ordinary lives, extraordinary movie

This movie opens with three very profane old British farts communingmorosely over their pints at the Coach and Horses in Bermondsey (nearTower Bridge, London) and reminiscing about a mutual friend who hasjust died. The trailer with this scene in it put me off altogether, andit was only because a workmate raved over 'Last Orders' that I decidedto see the film. In fact it is a cleverly made celebration of the livesof ordinary people with about as profound an emotion as the Cinema canevoke in its viewers.Jack (Michael Caine), Ray (Bob Hoskins), Vic (Tom Courtney) and Lenny(David Hemmings) are the old farts, and Helen Mirren is Michael's wifeAmy. At the opening of the movie, Jack, a founder member of the JollyButcher school has just succumbed to heart disease, and the survivorshave undertaken to carry out his last wish: to have his ashes cast intothe sea at Margate, a windswept seaside resort about 60 miles away.Jack's son Vince (Ray Winstone) who is in the motor trade has laid on alarge Mercedes for the occasion, and they all set off, except for Amywho has other family business to attend to.What we then get is the story of the group via a cleverly arrangedseries of flashbacks, commencing just prior to the Second World War.The tale is an ordinary one but one with which millions of older Britswould empathise with. There are several different strands in thenarrative and as younger actors are used in some of the flashbackscenes it becomes difficult to recognise characters at first (though inDavid Hemmings' case things were made easier by casting his son Nolan).JJ Fields is a standout as the young Jack. Some characters (eg Vince)are portrayed by up to four different actors. A second viewing iscalled for, I think. It helps if you are familiar with British cars;each period seems to be adorned with the appropriate vehicles,including a sixties 'Dormobile' (camper van) which becomes a leit-motivfor the whole story, but I think Fred Schepisi should have stuck thedate/place up at the beginning of the flashbacks to help those who arenot car buffs.Michael Caine is an amazing actor. He is always the same yet here hefits the character of Jack the butcher perfectly. Caine just getsbetter with age. Bob Hoskins as Ray the punter and Helen Mirren as Amyare also terrific. Tom Courtenay as Vic the undertaker has a lesserrole but is also convincing. David Hemmings as Lenny has not much towork with – he really only has one scene when he tries to punch outVince in a boggy field - yet he produces a definitive picture of aboozy old man in decline. The old men as a whole evoke pity, but as wedelve further into their pasts our pity is replaced by understanding.Every old drunk propping up a corner of the bar has some sort of storyto tell, but here Schepisi tells his old fart's stories with humour andcompassion. This film is a celebration of the ordinary which shows thateven the ordinary have their moments.

beans66 2012-05-03 13:16:44

A lovely film

It's refreshing to see these fine British actors, all at the top of thegame, demonstrating their command of their craft. No overacting norhistrionics, just small gestures and expressions. Last Orders makes apoignant statement about how normal people with small lives survivetragedyand just--go on.It's a small film, but a moving one. Refreshingly, I didn't feel like I'dbeen thrown at at wall with someone screaming, "cry, damn it, cry."

2012-05-03 08:11:36

Interesting story--but multiple cast flashbacks just never work for me

The novel was fascinating, but executing it on a big screen obviously was a huge challenge. Both my spouse and I got lost when the film flashed far enough back to change cast members. Much of the quips were wonderful, dry British humor--and if I just kept up with them, it was fine. It also helped to have read the book recently enough to make connections with the characters.

leggygal_7 2012-05-01 23:16:41

A journey through the gamut of emotions

This film's focus on the joys,sorrows, trials and tribulations of ordinarylives is a wonder.With a magnificent cast, its an insightful exploration of opportunities hadand lost and the strange and unexpected way our lives turnout.Take your tissues as there are some truly moving moments mixed with thosescenes where you won't be able to hide a smile.Having said that, don't think its a "Chick flick" - for its far from it andgives a voice to the more emotional side of everyman.Michael Caine, Ray Winstone, and Helen Mirren give sterling performances,asdo the cast of virtual unknowns who play the characters in theiryouth.

Theo Robertson 2012-05-01 22:56:44

Good Casts Don't Always = Good Movies

LAST ORDERS involves some of Britain's greatest actors playingcharacters who are taking the ashes of their late friend to besprinkled off Margate Pier , their friend in question being played byBritish acting legend Michael Caine Impressed ? I wasn't because there's very little in the way of plot ,with much of the story being told in flash back but don't expectanything resembling PULP FICTION or MEMENTO because this is just aboutas low concept as a movie can get , if you're able to get to the endcredits without nodding off you have done very well . Perhaps your ideaof extreme sports is watching paint dry ?The more I think about it the more I'm disappointed with it . Lookwe've got Michael Caine , Helen Mirren , Bob Hoskins and Ray Winstonein the same movie and little happens . Wouldn't have been much betterif Hoskins and Mirren were getting bothered by the IRA trying to muscleinto their patch so they hire Caine as an assassin who gets jailed forthrowing a man off a tower block and he has to pay protection money toWinstone who rules the prison wing . That would have been a greatBritish movie

michaelescher 2012-04-28 08:26:25

Enough with the flashbacks, already!

Fine acting from a great ensemble cast, but the over reliance onflashbacks became incredibly tedious. It's as if the director justdiscovered the technique. There are other ways to tell astory.Also, being a Yank, I have to admit that the accents were ratherhard to understand. At times I thought that subtitles were inorder.

brocksilvey 2012-04-28 06:24:17

A Miraculous Book to Screen Adaptation

A marvelous screen adaptation of the stupendous and heartbreakingGraham Swift novel. Four friends travel across the English countrysideto honor their dead buddy's wishes and scatter his ashes into the sea.Along the way, the back stories of these friends, their various fightsand reconciliations, are recounted in flashback. It's a poignant andtouching story about the evolving nature of friendship and thescariness and loneliness of growing older.The book had a Faulknerian structure; each chapter was told from thepoint of view of a different character. The screenwriter had thedaunting task of adapting that unfilmable style to the screen, and hechooses to take a straightforward, linear approach, but the storydoesn't suffer for it. Certain things are left out, but he chooses theright things to eliminate. Most importantly, the movie adheres closelyto the book's melancholy but cathartic tone.A host of terrific British actors play the group of male friends:Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, David Hemmings, Tom Courtenay and RayWinstone (where was Albert Finney?) But the powerhouse performancecomes from Helen Mirren, as the angry but resigned widow. Her characterdidn't have any passages of her own in the book; you only learned abouther through others. The screenplay's greatest alteration is in fillingout her character and it also happens to be one of the film's greatestassets. A scene in which Mirren goes to visit her mentally retardeddaughter in an institution (a daughter who may or may not even know whoMirren is) is quietly devastating.A truly extraordinary movie. It didn't get a lot of attention and Idon't know a lot of people who have seen it, but I would stronglyrecommend looking for it (and read the book, too, while you're at it).Grade: A+

2012-04-25 11:59:18

Closing Time

Fred Schepisi's film adaptation of Graham Swift's brisk novel about death and Britishness, or the death of Britishness, is a textbook case of how a bad script can stymie a brilliant cast. The screen comes alive whenever Michael Caine's on it, even when he's in a hospital bed. But he's never on for more than a few minutes before a flashback sweeps you back to his disturbing younger double, or shifts to one of his four mates, all of whom have stories and flashbacks of their own that need to be crammed in. Despite all the cuts, the snippets themselves are amazingly static for a film--four men driving in a car, four men standing at a pub, a man and a woman sitting on a bench: that's about 80% of the screen time right there. The characters seemed representative rather than real personalities: East Enders who fight in the War, bet on horses, run family butcher shops, go hopping of a summer, and mark their major life events down the local felt too pat, too pasteboard, to interest even the actors. London appears through a warm gauze of color and memory that doesn't really do justice to the personal histories the film sets out to tell. The cast is a Who's Who of the last 40 years of British cinema--I wish they'd been given more room to stretch out and pour their own histories into the characters.

stensson 2012-04-24 23:58:25

A good cast isn't everything

Actors like Helen Mirren, Bob Hoskins, Tom Courtenay, and Ray Winstone forexample ought to guarantee a good movie. This is the fact also in "LastOrders". The film is touching and the main characters are about 70 yearsold, which is rather rare of course. This is an everyday-drama with strongemotions, but for some reason one doesn't get as involved as one hadexpected.Maybe it is because of the glimpses from the past, which are too theatrical.These glimpses are as they were from another film, trying to imitate not thereality of those days but the movies of for example the late 30s. That drags"Last Orders" down and that's a pity.