Last Orders

This film is not just affecting for old(er) people, as much as you may have heard the contrary. The tale of a group of friends who perform the last orders of one of their group who has just died, involving a trek across England, it is populated by every late-middle-aged actor in England who wasn't in Gosford Park (for which they should be thanking their lucky stars). Excepting Helen Mirren, who was in both. My only real complaint with the film is that even with headphones on, it was difficult to understand the Cockney accent, particularly Bob Hoskins'. (Is that really the same guy from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Amazing.) I like what one amateur reviewer said on Netflix: "I had trouble understanding some of the Cockney...but the mumbling made it even worse. For you who would say 'get over it,' I'd say 'bugger off'." It does make it more difficult to understand what's happening, at least in the beginning, but as time progressed I found I wasn't noticing it as much. Perhaps because the film started to pick up speed, or if not speed, at least it resorted to more flashbacks to fill in the parts you didn't understand in the characters' lives. I guess I just didn't love the ending. It felt too sewn up and too easily reconciled. But other than this semi-Hollywood ending, I think it will appeal to many for its sweetness and slowness.

year: 2001
length: 109 min.
rating: 3.0
review written: March 25, 2004
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0253200/combined