Issue fatale

This is a must see film all about road rage and the causes and sometimes dire results. We read about these in the papers but this movie really spells it out. Much more suspenseful than CRASH. The two ladies in the leading roles couldn't have been better choices. Both Kathleen Robertson and Andrea Roth are spellbinding. They are superb and yet only play the final scene together and that is brief. Rounding out an excellent cast are Ben Bass as Robertson's hubby and Linden Ashby as the husband to Miss Roth.

You find yourself deeply involved with their personal and professional lives. And you care for both of them. The entire movie keeps you in your seat until it ultimately ends in the final crash scene. I was thoroughly taken with this. I also liked the young boy, Noah Bernett, who played the son to Robertson in a wheel chair.

There's plenty of dramatic moments and even some comedic moments, Robertson chasing the delivery boy through the park. But mainly it's a lesson for all of us to learn about road rage. You must see this. Thanks also goes to the writing by Russ Cochrane and superb direction by John Fawcett. Bravo.

"Last Exit" is a fantastic little film that details the events of a day in the life of two very different women, whose days become inexplicably intertwined simply because of a little bit of road rage. Kathleen Robertson plays Beth Welland, a lovely young woman raising a son who is in a wheelchair, and dealing with the pressures of every day life. Andrea Roth is Diana Burke, a well-to-do woman with troubled teens and a distant husband, though she seems to be doing good for herself at work, until this fateful day.

Kathleen Robertson proves that she is a fantastic actress with the complex Beth, such an amazing performance. Andrea Roth also gives a great performance. Supporting them are Linden Ashby as Diana's husband Scott, Ben Baas, giving an amazing performance as David the father of Beth's son, and Noah Bernett, who plays Beth's son.

"Last Exit" may be a TV movie, but it doesn't seem like it, far exceeding the usual formula of tele-movies, and featuring a great story-telling sequence, with the shocking climax being shown at the beginning - then flashing back, because the events that take place during these women's day are so interesting, you're compelled to watch.

I think not only drivers (especially reckless ones) can benefit from watching "Last Exit", but almost everyone, for while driving is a major part of the film, the real-life issues and dilemmas the women face can be applied to almost anyones life. Well done to all involved.

They don't tell you this in the plot outline but early into this movie you realize that Murphy, of the ill-famed 'Murphy's Laws,' apparently has written himself into this script :^). As you're watching this movie, it will slowly reel you in. By the time you're 3/4 into it, you'll find yourself amazed, thinking just how good it is. But, by then, you're just scratching the surface of where this movie is going to take you. And by the end, you'll be glad that you decided to invest the time to watch it. This movie leaves you feeling. And, most importantly, you'll learn something about life and yourself from the experience because, during the movie, you'll be constantly comparing your life to the ones you're witnessing on the screen. And I bet, you'll see a bit of yourself there sometimes. This movie makes you profoundly think about a lot of things. Kudos to the director.

Against a gritty urban landscape, Last Exit follows a single day in the lives of Beth Welland and Diana Burke, two mothers following two seemingly different paths. Beth (Kathleen Robertson) is a single mother to Benji, a young boy confined to a wheelchair and their cramped apartment overlooking an expressway. While Beth seems to take it all in stride, a growing desperation lurks beneath her sunny disposition. For Diana (Andrea Roth), a married mother of two with a highly successful career in advertising, life is all about keeping everybody else happy amidst the growing anxiety that she may be in over her head. In the oppressive heat of an urban summer, the lives of these two women have violently collided. And, as police officers race to their uncertain rescue, parallel flashbacks gradually bring the shards of a shattered puzzle back into focus, providing the truthful and deeply unsettling causes for the tragic effects. What ensues will change both women, together with the people they love, completely and for the rest of their lives. The film had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I found myself deeply changed by the experience. Beth and Diana's struggle stayed with me for days and more than once, and had a profound impact on my attitude and actions when I'm behind the wheel. If you've ever experienced the frustration of daily commuting through a congested urban centre, you will relate. Last Exit is a definite must-see.

Director John Fawcett previously brought us the first GINGER SNAPS and THE DARK (the one with Maria Bello). Two movies I happen to like. LAST EXIT is a quite different film, but turned out a pretty solid viewing experience. Two unrelated women, portrayed by Andrea Roth and Kathleen Robertson (who finally has the chance to prove she can carry a film with a semi-leading role), are involved in a nasty car crash. The whole film consist out of flash-backs, illustrating the events leading up to the crash. LAST EXIT starts off a bit slow, but gradually Fawcett ups the pace and things get worse and worse for our two leading ladies (and thus: more interesting for the viewer).

Fawcett sets his story in a crowded, hectic city and handles a more "realistic" visual language (loose camera work from the shoulder, faster editing), so it's a bit of a break from his more stylised work in films like THE DARK and maybe requires getting a little used to at first. Nevertheless, this made-for-TV film really is worth a watch and proof that a lot of TV work these days can easily compete with theatrical releases. A decent story, a good director and fine actors work wonders sometimes. Fawcett and writer Russ Cochrane even managed to come up with a solid denouement (for which I was fearing, but ungrounded as it turned out). Check out LAST EXIT; it should leave you satisfied at the end of the ride.