Final

Many people would not like this movie because so much of what is going on is never revealed. In a way the situation even seems a trifle contrived. Had the same story been done in standard big Hollywood fashion, there would have been special effects of the freezing and other SGI's galore. More attention would have been paid to the background situation and not just the main two characters.

I am very glad that this movie was not done that way. Hope Davis and Denis Leary do an amazing job in this film. Usually known for his caustic small screen/comedy special personality, Leary plays a man who lost everything in his life, and his sense of reality. He does an excellent job, particularly early in the movie, establishing a man on the verge of breakdown. Hope Davis plays his therapist. She portrays a soulful character who is stuck in an incredibly difficult position.

Together they have great chemistry that isn't forced. The love that blossoms between them is the obviously dictated by the story, but in seems to unfold naturally. Early on they spar verbally, but eventually start to trust each other. When the finale rolls around, the scene doesn't seem forced but rather is poignant. And although Davis really sells the finale, Leary also does a fine job.

Again, this movie is not for everyone, but many will appreciate it.

A very strange look into the mind of leary. I had hopped that his character was going to come to terms with the death of his father. The story shifts to a bigger problem of him not fully aware of how or why he is institutionalized.

I was a bit apprehensive to watch this, even though Dennis Leary and Hope Davis are in this, both of whom are great actors. Also, I've never been a huge Hope Davis fan, she tends to play unsympathetic characters a little too well (Secret Lives of Dentist and About Schmidt) and the idea of Leary in a serious role puzzled me, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt, probably because it was Leary in a serious role, which is an intriguing idea. I took a gamble, despite the ultra-cheap look, and I am very happy that I did watch it.

The ultra-low budget is exactly why this film is not for everyone, it is solely driven by dialogue. it is very clearly a low-budget film, chances are that either Davis and Leary did it without a paycheck or they spent their whole budget to get them. If that idea is off-putting to you, steer clear. Even though the budget is next to nothing, and you can tell, the script is beyond great and the acting is absolutely perfect, especially the interplay by Davis and Leary, which is the heart of the film.

It is hard to talk about the film without giving anything away, so I will say nothing about the actual plot. Only that it develops slowly and is purely dialogue driven, much like a play, but it is not a stagey film. The film is almost a mystery, you just don't know where it is going to take it and it keeps you guessing. Yet, it is also very much a romance and on an intellectual level, sci-fi as well, but only in the most cerebral sense. There are no laser fights, outerspace/intergalactic travel, space ships, or aliens, and it reveals itself very slowly.

There is very little action, most of everything happens in one room, though there are a number of "flashback" scenes which take place out of the room. I have seen low-budget films that were overly ambitious in their execution for their budget("Lo" or even "Ink" comes to mind), and suffer a bit for it, "Final" does not have those problems, in fact, were it to be hampered down with a bigger budget, I get the feeling it would have actually encumbered the production and possibly hurt the end result.

The only downside is it makes it less likely to appeal to anyone who doesn't like offbeat films that are not at all mainstream, even though the story is as good as any well-made big budget film, the cheap look does not help it in the ratings department I am certain, I think that is probably the primary reason why it is not rated higher, and I think given this film cost a good deal more than "Primer", yet has a somewhat cheaper look, doesn't help it either.

The acting, story, characters, and writing is all very well done, the quality of the look, which is a result of sloppy post production, does hurt this film, though the cinematography and sound is competent, and does it's job. The music is ver playful and a lot of fun, and certainly adds a lot to this movie, it is one of my favorite aspects of the film. It is easy to say that if you enjoyed movies such as "Primer" or "Ink" which do pretty well with their tiny budget, or you are just tired of films that have no story or substance, this is a movie that is well-worth a watch, if that is not you, please do us a favor and do not watch or rate this film.

God Bless ~Amy

I saw this movie twice, in a theater. I saw it the first time due to my fondness for both stars, and ended up loving it so much I went back 3 days later. There's not much sign of Leary's usual persona- he's excellent as a dazed & confused but maybe not all that delusional patient. I liked Hope Davis in it, too, but Leary was really the center, and the film keeps you guessing as to how accurate his memories are, and his paranoia. The end is so simple and yet one of the most emotionally powerful & devastating I've ever seen. It's a pity more people haven't seen this. It shows what you can do with a bare minimum of scenery/sets but also a great script with actors up to the task....

... but better - thanks to great character acting from Davis and Leary. However, the movie is just too long for what it delivers: a 2 hour, 2 person talk-fest in which nothing really happens.

This story involves a man who wakes up in a psychiatric ward / hospital and thinks it's the future and that he's going to be given a (final) lethal injection. The entire movie is basically about his interaction with his doctor in the patient room and hospital yard.

The only saving grace of this movie is the strong acting performances by both Leary and Davis. Leary is very dynamic and energetic (it's actually very impressive) and Davis does outstanding counterplay as his restrained, even-toned psychiatrist.

This makes them interesting to watch - to listen to. The memory flashbacks also help break up the dialog.

However, almost NOTHING happens in this movie - it's huge talk-fest and the story could have been shrunk to 30 or 40 minutes max. If it weren't for the quality of acting (which induced me to think the movie may get better), I would have quit watching early on. In the final analysis, I also realized that I didn't even get anything out of the great performances beyond recognizing the skill of actors.

If you're a Denis Leary or Hope Davis fan, you'll probably enjoy watching them act. For the average movie-goer, see something else.