First Love, Last Rites

I rent a lot of movies. I enjoy a lot of the Independent and offbeat ones. But this one definitely was on my top 10 of hard to keep watching because it was soooo borrrring! Even though every other scene was sexually "titilating" I was disappointed. Don't bother!

I rented the movie because I already had the soundtrack and loved it. I was thinking "How bad can this movie be with a soundtrack like this?" Well.....it wasn't great. It moved pretty slow for me. It was just....there. It felt like I was just killing time watching the movie. The two main actors are much better than the roles they played. I wouldn't mind seeing the two of them together in a different, better movie. Guess you can never judge a movie by its soundtrack.

I watched this one a couple of months ago on video while I spent some time in the USA. I especially liked the performances by Giovanni Ribisi (who is also great in "The Gift") and Natasha Wagner (one of my all-times favorites). Another positive effort is the nice soundtrack and the slick editing.

The main problem of "First Love, Last Rites" is that first-time director Jesse Peretz sometimes slows down the pace a bit too much so that you may need some patience to sit this one through. Nevertheless it´s still worth watching especially if you like Ribisi and Wagner.

By the way: ever since I watched this movie I tried to find out whether or not it has been released on DVD (no matter which country or regional encoding as long as there´s an English-language track on it). So, if anyone who reads this knows where, when or how to get "First Love, Last Rites" on DVD inform me about it, I´d be very pleased!!!

The most realistic portrait of a first intense relationship I have ever seen on film. Certainly slow at times, but life is not always the pace of an action film. The characters are so smoothly drawn and achingly acted, that the mere sight of them on screen makes the heart cry out for their plight.

Natasha Gregson's portrayal of the confused Sissel is nothing short of brilliant. Any man who was ever profoundly confused by a woman in his life will not find the answers in her character - only more frustration with her realistic nuances on screen with Giovanni Ribisi. And any man who has ever been hopelessly in love will sympathize with Ribisi's lovestruck character and his honest stumblings trying to understand the woman he loves. The setting is perfect for this film, and is beautifully shot. There are subtle suggestions that Sissel may have been the victim of a drowning, but I have yet to pull out enough information to prove this interpretation.

Not for everyone, but if you are looking for an honest, real picture of first intense love without an ending that smacks you in the chops or filled with stupid Hollywood cliches about love, this is the film for you....

FIRST LOVE, LAST RITES is a movie that I know people will be bored with. It is slow for some tastes. Life is slow. This movie is so true to life and it's pacing seems all too real. It's amazing it's a story not of plot but of documenting time. The story inspired a screenplay that I just finished Belmar. It has such a slow core to it and is so atmospheric. Bottom line THIS IS AN ART FILM. ("A movie simple enough for a child to understand with images strong enought for an adult"-Roger Ebert. Different people will react differently to this movie. It's for the art crowd and for film students. It's not for the average multiplex movie goer unless they get darring and wana try something new. I hope Jesse Perez makes another movie, the actors were great, well I am a huge fan of Natsha Gerson Wagner. It's a very steamy masterpeace that moves with the charactors and the atmosphere. I have no idea why this film didn't make it big. It sure is a discovery on video!