The Last Lullaby

The Last Lullaby (2008)

Here's a film that reinvigorates the true moody, classic, slightly low-budget intensity of film noir. It's not latecomers like "Chinatown," Blood Simple," or "Mulholland Drive," which are strong movies on their own terms (and often waved as recent film noirs). "The Last Lullaby" survives and penetrates on the essence of a good noir--a leading protagonist who is lost in the world, a mysterious set of forces out to take him down, a leading female with dubious intentions, and gloomy dramatic filming to create a mood of uncertainty and, frankly, dark elegance.

This is a kind of masterpiece that I think will grow over time. Like some of the great noirs (to keep this theme going for just another thought), the first impression might be flawed, as if there is something too forced and stylized and sometimes even clunky going on. But this is part of what makes for style, and style is what makes for a lasting, unique movie. Think of "The Big Heat" or even "Double Indemnity." (For some reason, "Point Blank" with Lee Marvin comes to mind as as somewhat newer parallel).

Tom Sizemore makes the movie. He's a hit-man seemingly drifting out of the business, but having nowhere to go or nothing to do with himself. And then his skills get called into play, almost by instinct. Sizemore manages laconic better than anyone. He's not weary, exactly, but indifferent because of a long violent life. (The actor might be remembered best for his terrific role in "Natural Born Killers," a good pedigree for this movie.) And of course he meets a woman in an unlikely way, and the plots twists and twists.

But it doesn't spin out of control thanks to Sizemore's steady and yet expressive and really subtle performance. And the woman, played by Sasha Alexander (tons of television, including 20 episodes of "Dawson's Creek"), who has more depth and restraint than you'd expect in this kind of role. In fact, part of the whole thrill of the movie is the way the two leads, who make up nearly every scene, are so low key even as the events are bloody and out of control in their violence.

The cast, crew, writers, and so on are all relatively new, or coming from modest careers. That they all collide and make something this special happen is one of the thrills of collaborative artmaking--movies, above all, with so many components to go wrong, or to go right. You might not find this to your taste, but if you do, it might be one of the great surprises of the year. It was for me.

"The Last Lullaby" opens with a wonderful shot of the always captivating Tom Sizemore looking even MORE intriguing than usual: staring up at a ceiling fan in an eerily lit bedroom in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. So, he does what he usually does when this happens: gets in his car and trolls the local convenience store.

And this is where the film really lost me: he encounters a group of dim-witted thugs virtually broadcasting the fact that they're holding a girl hostage nearby. Sizemore, being the proverbial hit man in "retirement," naturally follows them to check it out. I know that it's sometimes hard to make every event in a script seem plausible or organic, but if you're going to toss the audience a whopper like this one, save it for the last reel. This development really sabotaged the film for me. If it didn't for you, I envy you.

Seriously...there's a lot of great stuff here. Yes, the basic plot has been done to death, but seldom with the realism and warmth of the performances given by Sizemore and Sasha Alexander, who plays the woman he's hired to kill. I hesitate to reveal more of the plot because this film needs all the surprises it can spring on you.

The plot is the biggest boner here, and not just at the start. As Sizemore gets closer to Alexander, of course he begins to develop an attachment to her. This leads us into some situations that are so over-the-top and obvious, there's no way Alexander could not suspect his true motives. This is "explained" later on in the film, but to ill effect.

I really wanted to like this film more because, overall, the acting is exemplary...I just wished the script had given the actors more to hang their hats on. Most of it you can see coming a mile away.

This is a good movie. Compared to your average "blockbuster" thriller movie that comes out in theatres these days, I would consider it a great movie. There is some serious violence, which, while cool (from your average guy's standpoint) does not detract from the movie's purpose, which is to delve deep into the souls of the two main characters (who give great performances, by the way). This is done quite effectively with the help of unique cinematography and mesmerizing sounds (which includes some long periods without dialogue).

If you like the mystery/thriller, I don't think you could help but enjoy this one.

I drove to Dallas for the festival. Lullaby was first movie I saw. Wow! I wish all the entries were that good! It kept me in my seat from beginning to end. A movie without a potty break in the middle is an unheard of thing for me. I particularly liked the pace of the movie. It is a bit slower and more quiet that the usual Hollywood fare. Sizemore did a great job of blowing life into Price. His emotion felt real to me. An introverted, socially awkward ex-hit man requires some subtlety. Sizemore nailed it. The ending kept coming back to me for days after the movie. The movie is, as a friend of mine says about truly interesting things, "a thing that make you say, hmm".

Looking over the array of "10" reviews claiming that The Last Lullaby is a masterpiece, all of which were written back in 2008, when this movie was released, I can only conclude that the director's friends all decided to pitch in to make his first feature a success.

Alas, in the end, the truth comes out, and in this case it is that The Last Lullaby is replete with plot holes and ridiculousness. I note that the director has no other films to his name twelve years later. QED.