Das Traumdate

I wanted to rate it higher, but I found it rather average as cancer kid movies go. The movie is actually an exploration of the meaning of life and death and how it affects both the dying and ones left behind.

I felt that, as the two wacky friends of the dying kid used him a little as a macabre joy ride, so the writer of the film took the tragedy of death and twisted it to fit his message on life. The result was a benign slightly dream like experience that kind of conflicts with reality. As in superhero movies, too many coincidences led to the desired result; any one missing and it would have all been a sad and depressing experience.

And what is with the funeral home people trying to erase the smile of dead people? Isn't it better to go out happy?

Bottom line: a mild drama, played well, directed OK, a bit over melodramatic and a bit to fantastic in some places, but hey... it's a drama.

This movie was actually a good film that surprised me a little bit. When I rented it, based on what I had read about it, I was expecting to see a raunchy teen flick. Instead, it turned out to be a not-bad film that balanced comedy and drama in it. In the movie, a teenager is dying from cancer. A foundation that grants wishes to dying youngsters has him appear on television to make his "one last wish," and everyone thinks he is going to ask for a fishing trip with his favorite football player. Instead, he asks for a weekend with a hot supermodel whose bikini-clad image adorns his wall on a poster. We then shift to the supermodel, who is portrayed as somewhat on the hot-tempered side and has totally exasperated her manager. The model is surprised when she learns about the wish and reluctantly agrees to meet him. After a couple disappointing meetings, the boy becomes frustrated too. I will leave the rest to you to watch to figure out what happens. All in all, this was a decent way to spend an hour and a half of your time, and I recommend it. It has both funny and tear-jerking moments.

** 1/2 out of ****

"One Last Thing" is that rare thing, a small film that's big on entertainment while never compromising its intimate feel. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and then you'll laugh and cry some more. "One Last Thing" takes the story of a teenager, dying of cancer, and turn it into a celebration of life that is neither sappy, nor cliché. On the verge of accepting a charitable organization's last wish of a fishing trip with his football hero, the young Dylan throws caution to the wind and states his real wish on live TV: to spend a weekend alone with supermodel Nikki Sinclair. Michael Angarano ("Seabiscuit," "Lords Of Dogstown," "Will & Grace) as the dying Dylan, Cynthia Nixon ("Sex and The City") as his widowed mom, and hot, hot, hot newcomer Sunny Mabrey ("xXx State of the Union") as the gorgeous but troubled model, bring amazing chemistry to Barry Stringfellow's remarkable script. Deftly directed by Alex Steyermark ("Prey For Rock & Roll"), the cast is rounded out by the likes of Gina Gershon, Wyclef Jean, Johnny Messner, Coati Mundi, Michael Rispoli. And added bonus is a wonderful, uncredited turn by Ethan Hawk as Dylan's father who also died from cancer a few years before. I heard about "One Last Thing," of all places, on my classical radio station KUSC here in L.A. Evening host Jim Svedja was so impressed by it at a screening that he took time from his usual musical broadcast to rave about the flick and interview Mr. Stringfellow, Mr. Steyemark and Ms. Mabrey (tough duty I'll bet). He even offered a money back guarantee. Alas, HD-Net the company that released "One Last Thing" apparently lacked his good taste and enthusiasm. After a bare bones release, the film was quickly released on DVD via their "genius" day-date release policy. Fortunately, the DVD is widely available and the small screen doesn't diminish the big pleasure that is "One Last Thing." I don't have Mr. Svedja's deep pockets, but I guarantee you it won't disappoint you.

ONE LAST THING is the next film from Magnolia Pictures. MagPics is of course the distribution arm of 2929 Entertainment, which is owned by Dallas Maverick Mark Cuban.

Last year, 2929 announced that it was eliminating its movie windows and that it was essentially making its DVDs available in stores at the same time as the film's release in theaters.

Basically, if you prefer to see this movie on the big screen, you can go to your nearest Landmark theater on Friday, May 5th.

But, if you don't, you can go instead to the video store and pick it up on Tuesday, May 23rd and not have to wait so long for the DVD.

It won't be the usual 3-month or 5-month distance between the film and DVD releases. However, regardless of how one chooses to see it, I recommend that no one does.

So far, MagPics and 2929 have been putting out some great material including two great documentaries, ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM and HERBIE HANCOCK: POSSIBILITIES, as well as some interesting dramas like BUBBLE and THE WAR WITHIN, so when I heard about this movie I got excited, especially since I saw it playing at the Philadelphia Film Festival.

Philly is my hometown and most of the movie was filmed there, specifically in the Marcus Hook neighborhood. The story centers on Dylan, a 16-year-old kid who is dying of cancer. Cynthia Nixon from "Sex and the City" plays his widowed mother. United Wish Givers, a Make-A-Wish foundation-type of organization, decides to grant Dylan one wish before he keels over from cancer.

At first, they think his wish is to go fishing with super star football player Jason O'Malley, but during the press conference, Dylan recants and says his wish is really to have sex with super-beautiful, super model Nikki Sinclair in her mid to upper 20s. What proceeds are Dylan's attempts to make that wish come true.

But, instead of ONE LAST THING, the movie should have been titled "The Film That Tries to Justify Statutory Rape." This film is more about taking us to a contrived destination that defies reason or believability than really giving us something honest and real. It tries to be heartfelt but really just comes off superficial and annoying.

For example, Dylan's two friends, Ricky and Slap, played by Philly natives Matt Bush and Gideon Glick, tag along when Dylan sets out to New York to score with the super model, but while Dylan is throwing up in the bathroom and is clearly becoming sicker, all his friends want to do is concentrate on sneaking into a strip club.

Wow, two teenage, horny boys with a one track mind! Haven't we seen this before? Haven't the American Pie movies been enough? Couldn't the screenwriter, Barry Stringfellow, have come up with something else a bit more original, or supporting characters with maybe a bit more depth? Also, Wyclef Jean plays a foreign cab driver. How cliché! Jean's cab driver magically drops in here and there for no real reason and his appearance seems only to add a little color to this otherwise lame white-washed world.

Ethan Hawke makes an uncredited cameo, but I'm forced to ask why. His efforts are wasted.

Michael Angarano who plays Dylan is a cute kid and potentially a great actor, but I was "so" not impressed with his performance here, and quite frankly I haven't really been impressed with any of the movies I've seen him in. He was funny though as Jack's son Elliott on the NBC TV show "Will & Grace."

But, I think there are a ton of better actors in his age group like British actors Jamie Bell and Max Minghella, Canadian import Kevin Zegers, Dane Christensen, Jesse Eisenberg, and Robert Ri'chard. Watch out for these guys in the future, all of them are amazing.

More amazing than I've seen Angarano, but I don't really blame him though. He did the best he could with what he had to work with, which wasn't much. The script here was simply senseless. Just a bad indie film! Just bad!

I have to admit that I approached this film with a little trepidation at the Tribeca Film Festival. One one hand, the plot sounded a little like it might come out of an afterschool special; but then again, the cast had Cynthia Nixon, Gina Gershon, Wyclef Jean, and I had heard a rumor about a certain movie star cameo. (Which I won't spoil here.) And I knew that Sunny Mabrey, the only thing I remember from XXX2, was in it. Certainly all of these names wouldn't have been attracted by something pedestrian, right? Right. The IMDb and other reviews summarize the plot, so I won't do that here. (Or rant that the film never got a chance to find a theatrical audience. Thanks, Cuban.) But what I will do is tell you that the writing and the acting elevate this film into something pretty special.

It's not rare to find a funny film. It's not rare to find a sad film about death. What is rare is to find a film that is honest about its approach to death, and that manages to be both very funny and sad. And while some of the laughs certainly qualify as gallows humor, for anyone that has been through something like this, you will appreciate the filmmakers' open approach of looking at all the shades of this experience.

It is a strong testament to the film (and especially the writing) that from the opening scene, you know how this movie is going to end, yet that end is still very affecting. It was definitely more than a little dusty in the theater, if you know what I mean. But the end is not cheap, or manipulative. The emotions that are generated are come by honestly, and true to the spirit of the characters.

I'd especially like to mention the performances by all the actors playing the teenagers. These felt like real kids, who were both terrified by the situation, yet doing their best to get through it anyway they can. A lot of reviews have mentioned Michael Angarano, and rightfully so, but Matt Bush and Gideon Click are also excellent, and the three of them create a really strong dynamic. And there is a killer Wyclef Jean song over the end credits.

I'll also add that this movie sparked more conversation between my girlfriend and I than any we've seen, and that's really saying something.

So buy it, rent it, add it to your Netflix, tell a friend. This is a film that deserves your support. You won't regret giving it a chance.