Last Call

I loved it. True theater, amazing cinematography, beautiful language and an unforgettable portrayal by Rhys Ifans of Dylan Thomas.

The cast is immaculate, with Rhys Ifans delivering an absolute knockout, Oscar worthy performance as Dylan Thomas, and the rest of the ensemble follows suit. I really enjoyed the way this film at times felt like an intimate stage play, then danced back into feeling like a large budget arthouse film all within moments. The scene with Malkovich over the surgical table was just phenomenal. A true classic in the genre.

When it comes to films based in history, Dominion is a rare gem in a sea of monotony. This dynamic film captures Dylan Thomas in a way that made it feel the viewer is actually looking in on the life of the tortured poet. The black and white cinematography invokes a feeling of being inserted into the time period, and thus the viewer becomes a part of the story and creates an interesting new perspective. This stylistic cinematography works hand in hand with the poetic-ism of the script to bring us a snapshot of the poet Dylan Thomas' life. Dominion is a film that will captivate audiences with its unique dynamic and harsh realism of the story line. Furthermore, the cast's portrayal of the characters brings a sense of realism to the viewer, and keeps them wanting more.

I can go dark. I don't mind sadness. But, give me a reason . The metier of this film is the towering performance of Rhys Ifans as the poet Dylan Thomas. It would not be out of step to call it the entire film. The rest just window dressing. It's not that the performances are bad, it just that this movie wallows in its own obscurity. We have no reason to care about our characters, let alone it's protagonist. It's attempts at humor, it's attempt at being abstract and art house fall away. We're left with a depressing jumble of sound bytes. To it's credit, much of the monochrome photography is excellent, and gives it a period elegance. Perhaps, if you're a Thomas expert, this will already speak to you; but, if you want to know the man, this is not the place to start.

After I watched Last Call I was driving around my hometown and in my mind I played again and again scenes from Last Call, I heard the passion and tragic beauty of his words, and the escalating accompanying notes and I could feel the same gripping emotions. The battles we all face. The knot in my stomach that made me want to burst into tears was coming back all over again as I could understand the universal tragedy and agony of being alive on this planet, of being an awake soul. Just like his poetry. If that is not a great film, I don't know what is...