LAST NIGHT
US, 2010, 93 minutes, Colour.
Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes, Guillaume Canet, Griffin Dunne.
Directed by Massy Tadjedin.
Last Night was written and directed by Teheran-born Massy Tadjedin. It is a story of a marriage, fidelity and infidelity, the span of the drama over two days – with memories of the past.
It is basically a two-hander between Keira Knightley and Sam Worthington. Eva Mendes appears as a business colleague of Sam Worthington, testing his commitment to his wife. Guillaume Canet appears as a French writer, a friend of Keira Knightley from the past. Griffin Dunne is a friend of the author who probes the relationship in the marriage.
Keira Knightley is strong as the wife, Sam Worthington rather ordinary as the husband. It is basically a film for people in their twenties and thirties, reflecting on the nature of marriage and commitment, truth.
1. The title? Joanna and Michael, their characters, their past, experience, decisions?
2. The New York City settings? A world of those in their twenties and thirties? The world of real estate? The world of writing? Fashion? Apartments, offices, hotels, restaurants? The real world? The background piano score? Its moods?
3. The introduction, the couple in the taxi, tense, establishing the situation for the flashbacks and friendship curiosity concerning the tension?
4. Themes of love, commitment, fidelity? The college past and falling in love? The break? The interlude where Joanna met Alex? The marriage? The quality of the marriage? Tension, suspicion, jealousy? Betrayal?
5. Joanna, her age, experience, English background, her writing, her book, Freelance and Fashion? Her diffidence? The social, getting ready, meeting Laura, Stuart? Discussions? Her looking at Laura, the meeting, jealousy? The silent treatment? Confronting Michael? At home, the nature of the argument, drinking, the tantrum? Michael, his approach during the night? Joanna making breakfast? Michael and the trip, away for the day, the phone connection?
6. Michael, age, work? Real estate, the projects, with Stuart? At the party, with Laura? Laura and her flirting? Michael’s response? Getting ready to go to the party, his behaviour at the party, his reaction in the taxi, at home, Joanna and her jealousy? The arguments, his defence? The night, the breakfast, the trip and the meeting?
7. Michael, the train trip, checking in at the hotel, the work, Laura and the drink in the bar, their talking, their past stories, swimming at the hotel, the temptation, Michael going to Laura’s room, the reaction, his coming home early?
8. Joanna, going for the coffee, the encounter with Alex in the street? The promise to go out, getting ready, the makeup? The drinks, talking about the past? His character, relationship with Helen? Going to dinner, the meeting with Truman and his wife? The suspicions? The discussions about temptation? Joanna and her response to Alex, the kiss, taking the dog for a walk, being locked out, the reactions of Truman and Sandra at the return to the party, seeing Joanna as honest? The return home, Joanna’s motives, lying together, Alex leaving?
9. Laura, vampish, her work, the story of her husband’s death, her principles, the party, the flirting with Michael, the swim, the hotel room, the sexual encounter? The aftermath?
10. Michael, his return, his sense of guilt? Going out with Joanna – and the film ending with the possibility of their both telling the truth? Or not?
