Last Ball

I saw this at the Anchorage Film Festival years ago and loved it. The director told us it was loosely based on his own life growing up in Hastings-on-Hudson. I've never been there but the movie made it an appealing destination for future travels. Last Ball was solid with great characters. There are lots of those "nameless/faceless" actors in it that you've seen in so many movies but never caught their name. Leo Fitzpatrick (Kids) is great as the sidekick. Anyone who grew up privileged in small town America can definitely relate to it. There are characters we have all "known" from our rebellious teen years... the over-demanding father, the motherly bartender, a concerned sheriff, the goof ball friend you can't quite shake and maybe don't want to. I have checked for it on DVD but doubt it will ever be available. It's a treat and if you're able to see it at a festival then do it. I would love to see it again.

I saw Last Ball at the Director's View Film Festival a couple of weeks ago, where it justifiably won the grand prize for best film. This movie is really good. I so rarely see films where everything comes together perfectly, but it really did in this one. It was subtle, powerful, and funny. The nasty comments posted by "CorrGirl1027" don't ring true at all; she sounds like a disgruntled local actress who didn't get cast in the film, or she saw some other movie. "Last Ball" is fantastic, and I hope it gets distributed someday soon, since it's ten times better than most of the "indie" movies I've seen.

I loved this film about a young man at an emotional crossroads after graduating from High School. The performances by all the actors were great and I thought the love story was so true, and so gentle. The setting was beautifully filmed in the Hudson river valley, with New York City just down river. This is what is a real independent film should be. You just have to watch carefully and listen well, because there is a lot of subtle, sweet moments.

So many independent films would be great, if only the acting were better. Or the script tighter. Or if it was lighter, or heavier. Last Ball somehow brings it all together.

The acting is notably good; the emotion of so many scenes lingers with you long after the credits roll. It's beautiful to look at. It's well-directed, well-written. And most notable of all: it's a well-rounded story that is character driven and funny. It does not pander, but it sure does make you laugh.

It's so rare to get the whole deal in one film, but there it is. Last Ball delivers.

Watching "Last Ball" I was transported right back into my hometown. I loved this movie so much, I saw it twice! So have most of my friends, and we all agree that this film is something special. Not only does it look beautiful, but the characters are drawn so vividly that I felt like I knew every one of them personally. The pacing of the movie is particularly unique, and delightful: it's languid, like the camera is as reluctant as the characters to leave a familiar but enchanting place. There is so much love, loss, humor, and hope in this film, that you are guaranteed to fall in love, have your heart broken, and make an embarrassing snort sound when you laugh before it's over!