The Last Passport

A jewel of a little story done on a shoestring that brings to life precious nuggets of humanity that can come to light just waiting in a passport office. Jimmy Hager's character interacts with an endless stream of interesting characters coming thru the door and he affects each of them in different but positive ways. Is he an angel?.....you have to watch the ending to find out. Comic relief provided by Dave Blamy is a welcome pace changer.

The way in which this film was made proves that huge budgets are not necessary if the story is sound and interesting. Set only in a believable passport office and done in 30 days, from script to post, it is probably unique and in a class of film of its own.

Good story lines with lots of interesting characters. Whether directing, acting, writing, or whatever, if you want to learn about developing characters, watch this movie. I especially enjoyed Germain's woes and troubles. Also the black and white sequences were well thought out. It's amazing that this whole film could be shot in under $5000. It just goes to show that sometimes in the entertainment industry, rare times to be sure, a big pile of almightly dollars are not required. Same thing with the Blair Witch Project. It was low budget as they come, but still captured a big share of the market. I love films like this, and hope to see more.

This is a great little film that captures perfectly the phenomenon of interminably waiting in line at some bureaucratic government agency and inevitably baring your soul to the complete stranger sitting next to you , who you will never see again. The characters in the movie encompass just about every bizarre, stressed out, nerdy, dangerous, goofy person you might run into in this situation. I am in love with the older gentleman George, the sage of the film, who gushes wisdom and compassion and good old southern charm to anyone who happens to sit next to him. If you have ever been left to wait for hours on end and have let your mind wander to a surreal world where anything might happen, you should see this film! For the minuscule budget and extremely short shooting schedule I give this movie a 10! It goes back to a time when you watched a movie for a compelling story not for the special effects and extravagant sets.

This would make an excellent stage play. It's so eloquently written with its wonderful take on life's foibles and insecurities. The lead is what makes this film with his scholarly take on life. And yet the film doesn't take itself 100% seriously. After all, life often makes us shake our head in comedic disbelief. The ending is truly worth waiting for and exhibits a real crispness and surreal clarity. There is enough in this film to lead to different interpretations; and that is exactly what makes The Last Passport such an enjoyable viewing. It does have a David Mamet kind of feel to it. While most of the acting is quirky, some is truly heartfelt!

How many of us take responsibility for our actions 100% of the time? My guess is less than 1%, and I am certainly not in that one per cent. This play (though presented as a movie, it is much more of a play set in one room) shows us an example of a man who takes responsibility for his actions 100% of the time. And yet, this same individual does not seem to follow his own advice when it comes to his own personal life. The ending of the film will convince you of that. He is very good at offering really good advice to strangers, but does he avail himself of the social services he needs to live a more comfortable life? I found that part of the excellent script to be lacking a bit. The acting is obviously from the B class (with a few exceptions), but we forgive the amateur hour actors because the dialogue is strictly in the A category. This movie is reminiscent of films like My Dinner with Andre and Swimming to Cambodia; other movies that are presented in one or two sets. It was the dialogue that made those films superior; just as the dialogue makes this film superior. Issues include family relations, dealing with the death of a loved one, dealing with the alienation of an offspring (something I am familiar with), facing the truth about one's circumstances and taking action to make positive changes about one's circumstances (the most important element of the film), the numbing experiences of dealing with bureaucracies, breaking down stereotypes, and other profound issues. It was a wonderful surprise to see this film to reinforce a few of my beliefs. Highly recommended.