Last Call at Murray's

Hard to describe this this film. Different. Raw. Stark. Strange. Complex. The human condition. A lot packed into this film. It made me feel and think without the distraction of flash and slickness. This is why I like Indy films and Indy film people!

The plot is fairly simple and is the equivalent of a kid dreaming to be trapped in a candy store for adults. Not the most starfilled cast but very loveable characters. Would love this movie with some stars in it .

That Last Call At Murray's (2016) was directed and co-written by women should surprise nobody. The females, who comprise half the diverse cast if one includes a homosexual male with their numbers, lean strongly toward liberal feminist attitudes. The female characters reflect feminist views of the female population. None of the characters who appears onscreen is under thirty and all but one are a tad overweight. Two are mothers. By contrast, two of the male cast members are young and muscular. Two of the females get naked, but the camera avoids showing their bodies.

This is a female-centric universe, where everybody is safe within a sort of home, with all the world's troubles locked away outside. Women can be mean-spirited and vengeful, or controlling and insecure, but their actions are considered normal and acceptable. Women understand men and can psychoanalyze them at a glance. Older women are attractive to younger men, but older men who are attracted to younger women are disdained. Age, excess weight, emotional issues and children from prior relationships are no impediment to new romances. A woman who ends a relationship has no shortage of suitors eager to fill the gap in her life.

Beyond the feminist tilt, the plot is contrived with numerous coincidences and deus ex machina resolutions. Performances are good. Production values are more than adequate. It has its moments, but often seems like the way women want the world to be, not how it really is.

This film is really, really good - writing, directing, acting - you name it I liked it all. The story moved at a good pace, not too fast or too slow, and there was a lot of range in the characters. It's rare for a film set in only one location to have so many layers and levels but this film did it very well. The technical aspects were flawless, music was great - nothing sucked. I especially liked that the storyline was not predictable in any way, and that it always kept the viewer surprised by what would happen next. The film ended on a positive note, and I left the theater feeling better than when I went in - the sign of a truly great film. I KNOW you will get distribution and full theatrical release - no doubt in my mind. Way to go - home run!!! Thank you very much for sharing this film and bringing it to the world!

After watching LAST CALL AT MURRAY'S with the packed-to-the-walls, exuberant crowd at the Crest Theater, I realized a film like Murray is actually quite difficult to make – on so many levels. As John Savage suggested, close quarters results in harmony or chaos and often a bit of both. But there they all were - crew and cast - in the tiny space every day with all the folks and onlookers and equipment and pretty bras and egos and insecurities and, of course, loads of talent. That's it. No bells and whistles, no CGI, no car crashes, no diversions. Everything shows, every emotion, every detail. It's raw and vulnerable and brave. Bravo to all. By the way, Without a Song sung by Paula Jai Parker is lovely and beautifully performed.