Le Dernier Jour

The movie starts a little maudlin. Homeward bound for his family holiday, he meets a young woman on a train. He brings her home with him, and the family assume they are a couple and have been. He introduces her to a past friend, with undertones that it was a previous unrequited love interest. As she moves away from him towards a relationship with that friend, loneliness sets in. It brought back feelings of loneliness and emptiness, combined with anger and jealousy I felt at those ages (having been in the same scenario coming of age). To say it's better to have loved and lost has no bearing in this story. To see someone come of age with a story as this one rarely has a good outcome; I survived, many do not. The story takes a real almost unrealized twist toward the end, all I will say is pay attention to names and time-lines. I know my past was not the norm and hopefully most people seeing this movie, would be viewing it as the abstract life of another. No one should live through that pain and emptiness. I cried for an hour after the film was over.

Rodolphe Marconi ('Love Forbidden') is a director and writer to watch. He has a signature style already (he is quite young in the industry) and knows how to use that sensitivity to tell touching stories. LE DERNIER JOUR or THE LAST DAY is a mood piece, spare on dialogue, misty in its depiction of young emotional feelings, challenging in its play with time devices, and ultimately very satisfying for those who enjoy the French manner of film making.

Simon (the very handsome and gifted young actor Gaspard Ulliel of 'A Very Long Engagement') boards a train bound for the coast where he is to spend time in his family's seaside cabin. Most of his ride is spent gazing out the windows at the misty countryside, telling us more about this lonely, lost, vulnerable young eighteen year boy than a thousand words. On the train is a young girl Louise (Mélanie Laurent) who seems to be shadowing him. When Simon arrives home he is met by his loving mother Marie (Nicole Garcia), his sister Alice (Alysson Paradis) and his father. Louise joins Simon as a guest in his home and his family thinks the two are a couple. Though they sleep in the same bed, Simon's mind and longing are for a lad who lives in the lighthouse, Mathieu (Thibault Vinçon). Simon visits Mathieu, with Louise not far behind, and though we feel a kinship between the two boys, Louise forces her attention on Mathieu and Simon becomes a third party. In a telling moment when the three are in a pub Louise insists that Simon and Mathieu kiss, and that kiss tells a lot about the current state of mind of both boys. Simon becomes isolated, longs for Mathieu who has moved on from their past relationship, an emotional level which is culminated in a visit to Mathieu's home where Simon, alone on Mathieu's bed, re-visits the passion and lust and love for Mathieu in a scene of radiant beauty.

Simon's parents argue at all times and this leads to the discovery of a previous affair his mother had, an affair which holds secrets that drive a stake into Simon's relationship to Louise and to his mother's lover who as he visits the mother uncovers significant mysteries. The story ends tragically in a coda suggestive of the beginning of the film. It is stunning.

For some the sparse dialogue may prevent the storyline from driving clearly, but in the hands, eyes, and body of Gabriel Ulliel words are wholly unnecessary. If there were no other reason to see this very sensitive film, having the opportunity to observe the talented Ulliel would be sufficient. Recommended viewing, in French with English subtitles. Grady Harp

A wonderfully atmospheric French film, THE LAST DAY details a Christmas holiday with the family of an art student, and the beautiful young woman he encounters on a train, during which lives unravel terribly. Writer/director Rudolphe Marconi is adept at slowly piecing together the story without undue dialog or exposition. His cinematographer, editor and production designer have all contributed to his vision of a beach-side home and environs with a cold, blue palette that will have you wrapping your sweater more tightly. Gaspard Ulliel ("Strayed," "A Very Long Engagement") is compelling as the lead, and the film offers the wonderful Nicole Garcia ("Alias Betty") another strong role in which to shine. A family mystery of sorts, some of the clues may be dropped too soon (we figured things out well in advance), yet due to the fine acting, atmosphere and characterization, the film still pulled us along and left us jolted, moved and chastened. Secrets this important should never be withheld from those you claim to love.

This is an interesting, but ultimately disappointing film. The plot twists (of which there are several) are telegraphed way ahead, so if one is paying attention they become obvious and hence unsurprising. The characters are well-drawn and the soundtrack is quite nice. This is a very French film. It has all the obligatory scenes, including many of characters brooding where no one speaks. It even features several scenes on a train, as is required of all true French films. Also classically French is that one must guess at motivation, and the film does leave many questions unanswered.

This film does best as a character study of a small ensemble of interesting people. The boy, his parents, and his childhood best friend. His sister has a very small role, serving mostly to provide excuse for exposition and show other sides of the boy's personality.

Young writer-director Rodolphe Marconi introduces us to 18 year-old Simon (the extremely handsome and talented Gaspard Ulliel, "A Very Long Engagement"), who brings a girl he just met on a train, Louise (Mélanie Laurent), along with him to visit his parents and sister for a holiday in the country. As the mysterious Mathieu (Thibault Vinçon), Simon's unrequited love, reappears, Louise and Mathieu develop a liaison of their own, and we contemplate Simon's morbid sadness as dark secrets are uncovered.

"The Last Day" is a very personal, slow-paced, sensual and tragic story. It's very French in its aesthetics (which I love) and mood, and Marconi owes great part of his film's power to the amazing talent of Ulliel, who says more with a single look than most of today's young actors with a thousand words. In spite of his first bad move in Hollywood with "Hannibal Rising", I believe Ulliel is destined to become an international star (and if he doesn't, that's also fine, as long as he keeps picking daring roles in great films in his homeland). The soundtrack is also eclectic and memorable, and Marconi even reserves "the improvised, sudden musical scene" that's a trademark of some contemporary French directors, like François Ozon and Christophe Honoré. It could seem out of place and even ridiculous, but works beautifully here. Not a film for everybody, and ultimately depressing; but a memorable, poignant experience nonetheless. 9/10.