Last Exit

This is one of those movies that is a bit like a road movie, it moves along at a smooth pace and sort of starts, continues and finishes and at the end you think..blimey!, that may have been a lot about nothing really, BUT, I didn't once look at the clock, I didn't once leave my seat, and just watched and watched.

From the opening scene you think you know the plot, but that's the twist, you actually don't. The whole drama moves at a sufficient pace that you don't keep trying to guess the end, you just watch and learn.

This movie is a bit like a good book, you never want to turn to the last page, you just enjoy the journey and when you reach the end you feel sufficiently satisfied to pick up another.

Most people will be able to empathise with both lead characters, some days just turn out bad and every way you turn just throws up another obstacle. Although it's listed as a 'made for TV' movie, it shouldn't put you off, I've seen far worse at the cinema.

Good movie, great and plausible leading ladies.. Enjoy.

Against a gritty urban landscape, Last Exit follows a single day in the lives of Beth Welland and Diana Burke, two mothers following two seemingly different paths. Beth (Kathleen Robertson) is a single mother to Benji, a young boy confined to a wheelchair and their cramped apartment overlooking an expressway. While Beth seems to take it all in stride, a growing desperation lurks beneath her sunny disposition. For Diana (Andrea Roth), a married mother of two with a highly successful career in advertising, life is all about keeping everybody else happy amidst the growing anxiety that she may be in over her head. In the oppressive heat of an urban summer, the lives of these two women have violently collided. And, as police officers race to their uncertain rescue, parallel flashbacks gradually bring the shards of a shattered puzzle back into focus, providing the truthful and deeply unsettling causes for the tragic effects. What ensues will change both women, together with the people they love, completely and for the rest of their lives. The film had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I found myself deeply changed by the experience. Beth and Diana's struggle stayed with me for days and more than once, and had a profound impact on my attitude and actions when I'm behind the wheel. If you've ever experienced the frustration of daily commuting through a congested urban centre, you will relate. Last Exit is a definite must-see.

They don't tell you this in the plot outline but early into this movie you realize that Murphy, of the ill-famed 'Murphy's Laws,' apparently has written himself into this script :^). As you're watching this movie, it will slowly reel you in. By the time you're 3/4 into it, you'll find yourself amazed, thinking just how good it is. But, by then, you're just scratching the surface of where this movie is going to take you. And by the end, you'll be glad that you decided to invest the time to watch it. This movie leaves you feeling. And, most importantly, you'll learn something about life and yourself from the experience because, during the movie, you'll be constantly comparing your life to the ones you're witnessing on the screen. And I bet, you'll see a bit of yourself there sometimes. This movie makes you profoundly think about a lot of things. Kudos to the director.

I thought the movie well represented the reality of modern life. News stories on a regular basis highlight the impact of stress, poverty, and other conditions that push people to do unthinkable things. Last Exit keeps you on the edge of your seat as you watch the events of the day unfold in the lives of two very different women. The movie was not a sensational unrealistic Hollywood movie - it was very much a low key realistic look at the lives of the two women. One women is quite well off with husband and child, the other women divorced, in financial difficulty and struggling to hold a job and raise her son. The movie illustrates how one person can reach breaking point after a number of unfortunate events occur over a period of time. My wife really enjoyed the movie and so did some friends we recommended it to. Very good.

"Last Exit" is a fantastic little film that details the events of a day in the life of two very different women, whose days become inexplicably intertwined simply because of a little bit of road rage. Kathleen Robertson plays Beth Welland, a lovely young woman raising a son who is in a wheelchair, and dealing with the pressures of every day life. Andrea Roth is Diana Burke, a well-to-do woman with troubled teens and a distant husband, though she seems to be doing good for herself at work, until this fateful day.

Kathleen Robertson proves that she is a fantastic actress with the complex Beth, such an amazing performance. Andrea Roth also gives a great performance. Supporting them are Linden Ashby as Diana's husband Scott, Ben Baas, giving an amazing performance as David the father of Beth's son, and Noah Bernett, who plays Beth's son.

"Last Exit" may be a TV movie, but it doesn't seem like it, far exceeding the usual formula of tele-movies, and featuring a great story-telling sequence, with the shocking climax being shown at the beginning - then flashing back, because the events that take place during these women's day are so interesting, you're compelled to watch.

I think not only drivers (especially reckless ones) can benefit from watching "Last Exit", but almost everyone, for while driving is a major part of the film, the real-life issues and dilemmas the women face can be applied to almost anyones life. Well done to all involved.