The Last Word

It´s a fantastic vision of Hollywood's backstage,painful elationships,violence,and different points of view from the three main characters: Timothy Hutton, Michelle Burke and the great dark character that Joe Pantoliano develops here. A mad function that celebrates confusion of life and cinema, not even a bit of fun in the middle of the way.

This movie is sold to you as a gangster flick. Don't believe it!

You are also told to expect Richard Dreyfuss and Chazz Palminteri. Well, they give you one scene each!

There is the merest glimmer of a good film hidden deep in the recesses of "The Last Word" (mis-sold in the UK under the title "Cosa Nostra" - believe me, there is no Mafia action).

A writer is torn. His friend/agent and his movie studio want him to use the most powerful true stories from his newspaper column. If he does not then the film might not get made. His friend may lose his kneecaps (or more) due to financial problems, and the writer may never make it.

The dilemma is that the stories were told to him by his girlfriend. It was not in confidence at the time, but now she does not want him to write about her. And if she cannot trust him not to do so, then she cannot tell him the rest of her secrets.

In a good movie, the set up I have described could have been accomplished in 30 or 40 minutes, leaving an hour or so for the writer to make his agonising choice.

In this very poor movie, the set up takes 80 minutes, and the agonising choice about 45 seconds.

The Timothy Hutton character is a moral monster. The movie is about whether he can change, but it fails to engage you in this. For one thing, Hutton remains self-centered and haughty. Nothing to like nor learn from here. The Michelle Burke character is sweet enough (until a stupid plot twist at the end spoils it); she desperately needs a helpful relationship. That she would try for most of the movie to find it with the Hutton character is not at all convincing.

The portrayal of Hollywood in all its hypocrisy and twisting of culture to the lowest common denominator of attracting viewers is stale, adding nothing to what has become a Hollyood cliche of Hollywood.

This is not quite the thriller it appears to be in plot summary. While there is some violence and more sex and romance, this is more about Timothy Hutton's ethical choices as a writer. As such, it has some very good moments and fine acting by Hutton, Burke and Pantoliano. The pace is rather slow at first and you may find the ending disappointing, especially if you're looking for shocking revelations. But it's worth seeing.

Don't miss this one. It has a behind the scenes of Hollywood storyline, celebrity cameos, mob action, beautiful music, threatened friendships, but what makes it a must see is the love story between Timothy Hutton and Michelle Burke (Dazed and Confused). They fall helplessly in love despite the fact that he is recently separated from his wife, and she is a stripper with a dark past. It's no masterpiece by any means, but interesting entertainment and a good love story with a realistic ending.