Os Últimos na Terra

Science fiction movies have always aroused interest of directors and screenwriters and whetted the imagination of people. Z for Zachariah, based on the homonymous book by Robert C. O'Brien and directed by Craig Zobel, is a typical post-apocalyptic movie (to quote a recent film in that style we have the great The Survivalist - 2015) which focuses on drama and interpersonal relationships. Ann Burden (Margot Robbie, known for The Wolf of Wall Street - 2013) is a young woman who survived a nuclear disaster, which devastated almost the entire planet, in one of the only places not affected by the radiation: her family's farm. She lived alone with her dog Faro until the appearance of the scientist John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor, known for 12 Years a Slave - 2013), which had managed to resist the tragedy thanks to its special costume. An affinity and a bond are established between them, but the arrival of another survivor, the mysterious Caleb (Chris Pine, known for the films Star Trek - 2009 and Star Trek Into Darkness - 2013), threatens the relationship between John and Ann and shatters the harmony of the place.

The pace of the film is slow, focused on drama and the internal conflicts of the three characters. Instead of external threats and great action scenes or destruction, the plot deals with the complexities of the human mind, such as game of interests, distrust, fear of being alone and people's different reactions when subjected to extreme situations. Thus, the success of this type of narrative depends on tension and suspense created by the script coupled to casting and director's skills.

The performances, by the way, left absolutely nothing to be desired. Chiwetel Ejiofor hands on all duality of his character, John, which is intelligent and skeptical, but at the same time, possessive and keeps some secrets. Margot Robbie embodies the role of Ann, a humble girl, religious, sweet and naive, which is vulnerable by the inexperience of life and the fear of loneliness. Chris Pine completes the cast of confused personalities with the mysterious and manipulative Caleb, who brings with him a dark past.

The photograph, taken with long shots to explore the beautiful nature of the region, and the good soundtrack are positive features in the movie. But small failures in script and direction eventually delivered a smaller film than it could be. The dialogues and the atmosphere of tension and conflict between the characters should be better developed, especially in the third act. There is a visible continuity error in the movie: Ann's dog simply vanish after Caleb's arrival, with no explanation at all. The end, built ambitiously to enable viewer's reflection and imagination, leave some loose ends which causes the feeling that a few scenes lacked depth. After all, Z for Zachariah creates tension and drama in some moments, besides having great performances.

Originally posted in: https://vikingbyheart.blogspot.com.br

What happened to the Dog?

1/2 way in-the dog who is a prime character - Ann's only support mechanism other than the church

The dog disappears from the plotline and never shows up again - not laying on a rug by the fire strolling down the lane - nuth'n

Caleb appears they take him home and the dog is never shown again

New Zealand must be a beautiful country. I've never seen a movie filmed there that was not.

It's a not so ironic setting for a movie about the end of the world, as the film focuses on the emotions of three survivors of the apocalypse instead of the apocalypse itself. A good Christian woman left behind by her family who went to help others. A man of science looking to move forward and rebuilt, and the all-American heart throb who rains on the parade.

Chiwetel Ejiofor gave a compelling performance. it was so real, I think the majority of us would understand what he's going through. I was shocked by how outstanding Chris Pine was in this movie, just perfect. Margot Robbie was amazing as well, just a solid piece of acting by all.

It made for the perfect emotional love triangle. Even though only three people appear in this movie, it said so much about us as a society. I love sci-fi and I want to count this as one of the great Sci-fi stories ever told from beginning to end, and the outcome leads an interesting taste in my mouth.

It was a fantastic 97mins at the movies.

Just saw this movie at Sundance and thoroughly enjoyed it. While certainly not perfect, the film was beautifully shot, scored, and directed. As a post-apocalyptic film, it took a unique take on what was essentially a small group of survivors after nuclear fallout. However, instead of focusing on the apocalyptic elements themselves, it focused on the human drama that resulted and the emotional responses to this extreme sort of isolation.

I had essentially no expectations coming into the film and found myself completely invested in the storyline, which develops methodically but beautifully. The writing hits all the turning points within each character's development at just the right time, with just enough delicacy. In turn, the actors all delivered superb performances.

I had only seen Margot Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street previously, and I was highly impressed by her perhaps more subtle turn here. I thought she did a wonderful job of portraying a woman trying to preserve her faith and even innocence in trying circumstances. Likewise, Chiwetel Ejiofor portrayed his character's shortcomings in an extremely relatable, human way.

Chris Pine's introduction into the film basically becomes the linchpin for the majority of the rest of the movie's tension, and Pine's typical suave-ness does not disappoint. Ultimately, a story of jealousy, desire, and necessity emerges, with the sense of isolation and loneliness prevailing, with an ending that leaves you thinking afterwards. 8/10.

I was a big fan of Margot Robbie's work in The Wolf of Wall Street. I thought it was a fun, charismatic, electric turn, but I wasn't necessarily sure if that meant that she was an actual, capable dramatic actress. This really proves that she's one to watch out for. Although all three performers deliver some strong work, it's her moving, resonant performance that really stuck with me. I kept hearing a lot of negativity towards this film's ending and so I was sure it would be something out of left field, some turn or twist or something. It wasn't really any of that, and I actually loved the ending. It was semi-ambiguous, although not really, and the last scene was just pure magic and worked to conclude the film, beautifully. Definitely a very underrated, underseen film that I wish I had heard about before.