Movie Review: The Last Kiss
Stars (Out of 10): 6
One Word Summary: Funnerious

       Zach Braff has this angst thing down. In the long-awaited follow-up to the indie-favorite 'Garden State,” Braff is once again in crisis mode in 'The Last Kiss,” a dramedy about growing up too soon.

       The world is a fast place, so fast that sometimes people forget to breathe. Michael (Braff) forgot to have fun. Now he's almost thirty, about to become a father, in a relationship destined for marriage, and if that's not enough, his girlfriend Jenna (Jacinda Barrett) is talking about buying a house. It all seems so… permanent. Then he meets Kim (Rachel Bilson), a college junior and flutist. She seems as free as he wants to be. His friends' relationships all seem to be falling apart and the only people he can name in a marriage that's lasted longer than five years are Jenna's parents, and they're having problems of their own.

       Michael and Kim are sitting in his car talking. She doesn't understand why he won't leave Jenna if he's so unhappy. It's the emotional climax of the movie; Michael has to decide which girl he's going to choose. Kim turns to him and says, 'I may be your last chance at happiness.” It's a serious moment and a good line, but the minute the words escape Bilson's lips the entire audience bursts into laughter.

       'The Last Kiss” is the funniest serious movie I've ever seen. At times it's like Braff's back on the set of 'Scrubs,” but then three minutes later the tone is dead serious. There's no reason a drama has to be dry, but it shouldn't be this funny either. In that car scene the audience completely missed the shift from comedy to drama, so a line that should have carried a lot of weight instead fell on deaf ears.

       Still, all isn't lost. The screenplay, penned by Paul Haggis of 'Million Dollar Baby” and 'Crash,” is composed of a series of interesting character vignettes that depict four different relationships at different points in failure. Izzy and Ari have just broken up and Chris and Lisa's marriage seems destined for failure.

       The most fascinating, however, is the juxtaposition between Jenna and Michael and Jenna's parents' relationship, both of which are in danger due to infidelity. It's interesting the way Haggis compares relationships in two different stages—three years in and 30 years in. And equally unique is the way Tom Wilkinson and Blythe Danner are cast so prominently in what's mainly a young cast.

       Altogether 'The Last Kiss” is blessed with a spectacular ensemble. From Braff, who I swear has the best solemn face in Hollywood, to Bilson, who gives a strong performance away from her 'O.C.” roots, to Casey Affleck, the entire cast is strong.

The Bottom Line is that 'The Last Kiss” isn't perfect. It toes the line between comedy and drama a little to haphazardly, and the ending is a bit disappointing. Still, I enjoyed it. When it's funny, it's hilarious, and when it's serious it has the kind of human drama that's impossible to look away from. Think sexy, sexy train wreck.