Last Call - Genio ribelle

This portrait of F. Scott Fitzgerald's last days--as a wreck, battling alcoholism and trying to write "The Last Tycoon" with considerable help from his much younger new secretary--has some digressive scenes in the middle but is primarily intelligent and involving. Jeremy Irons is excellent (though at times his Yank accent can be a bit overdone) as the past-prime author, but the surprise is that Neve Campbell (whom I haven't very often been all that impressed before) does an excellent job as the secretary seduced into this sickly, washed-up but still highly intelligent and sometimes very charming man's spell. Sissy Spacek is effective enough as Zelda Fitzgerald, although her occasional appearances as a taunting/nagging phantom of sorts are a screen writing device that doesn't totally come off. It's a fine perspective on Fitzgerald that doesn't cast him as some kind of saintly victim but gives full weight to his talent and personal weaknesses.

This is a quiet little movie that will break your heart, like everything to do with F. Scott Fitzgerald. Jeremy Irons plays an older Fitzgerald, tired and desperate and sick. (Not that old, of course; he's only in his 40's.) He's living the expensive yet shabby winding-down existence of a Hollywood Next Best Thing who has turned out to be Just Another Flop. The Golden Boy of the '20s is now sadly tarnished. Worst of all, his usually reliable muses, the women in his life, are no longer delivering inspiration right to his door.(Look for the great Sissy Spacek as she weaves lustrous silk from the flimsiest of spiderwebs.) Fitzgerald's wonderful golden talent is sputtering like a marquee light bulb ready to blink out for good. But he still has something to say – if he can only get it out. Enter Neve Campbell as a sidewalk sparrow, bright-eyed, on the lookout for crumbs, timid yet bold. Will she be able to re-ignite his creativity? If Jeremy Irons is remarkable in this picture, Neve Campbell is a revelation. A breathtaking beauty, she also shows herself to be a superb actress, able to hold her own and more with the silken-voiced Irons. This movie (also known as "Last Call") deserves to be part of every college course on 20th Century American writers.

In "Last Call", Jeremy Irons is, in short, F. Scott Fitzgerald himself. Very much like Phillip Seymour Hoffman in "Capote", Irons has captured every mannerism and the speech of the controversial writer.

A level of "classiness" is attained, often on accord of the dynamic chemistry between Irons and Campbell, who in my opinion surprised Hollywood with this great performance in an extended supporting role. Sissy Spacek was also impressive, despite her only being in the film for about twenty minutes, her appearances are very memorable, and she is absolutely magnificent.

Other than the acting by Irons, Campbell and Spacek, there's really nothing that jumps out about this film. However it is an interesting look into the life of the influential and controversial writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. 6/10

Biopics didn't get the kind of recognition and acclaim they deserved back then. Not like Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of the famous physicist in "The Theory of Everything."

Perhaps that's the reason this film has gotten such an unfair average rating of 6.5. Cause, this film clearly deserves much higher recognition, and that's coming from a movie buff who is quite stingy when it comes to giving high marks.

This period quasi-biopic film entertained, educated, touched with a top notch cast. Jeremy Irons embodied the character playing the tormented soul of perhaps the greatest American novelist FSF in his role. But, then again, no one would expect any less from a superb actor of his caliber.

It's Neve's acting that captivated me so very much. Her ability to immerse herself in the character of an impressionable 23 yo in the presence of an acclaimed, giant of a writer in such close quarters was uncanny. Those vulnerable scenes with FSF (eg, in the car, outside the door, in evening out dancing); her expressions of restraint desire, dissonance and struggle to maintain a professional boundary were sublime.

Neve's acting shone just as brightly as did Jeremy's. She counter balanced FSF's (JI) torment soul so superbly on display with a sublime portrayal of Francoise' own agony of falling for a man she spends every day with knowing she can never love; one who has already lived so much of his life by the age of 44, haunted by demons and memories, while her life is just getting started.

The dialogues, editing, set-design and period costumes and no-bells-and-whisltes cinematography were also on par with the gravity of the story line, which is a based on a true story. I don't understand what do viewers want.

Checking the credits on writer/director Henry Bromell, it seems that we have someone who's written for "Chicago Hope", "Homicide" and "Northern Exposure". So a class act chooses to write about a screenplay about a writer, and the results are about what you'd expect. Pretty exceptional stuff. Jeremy Irons tosses his hat into the ring for an Emmy nom here. Another standout performance.

However..the big surprise to me is the performance of Neve Campbell. Get this girl off the "Scream-4" set and into some period pieces in a big hurry, fellas. She's ready to rock and roll. Pair her up with a decent script and an Oscar-caliber actor or two and she holds her own rather nicely, thank you.

Thanks to Showtime for the "Last Call" 15-minute addendum with Irons, the omni-present George Plimpton and Frances Kroll Ring briefly discussing F. Scott's greatest hits.