The Last Kiss

Don't be fooled by this one's title or cover; this is no chick flick. And calling it a romantic comedy would be an error as it is neither romantic nor comedic. I saw this once, about two years ago, and was somewhat distracted as it unfolded. I was also convinced the entire time that an enormous twist would happen at the ending (Rachel Bilson is just a figment of Zach Braff's imagination - mindfuck!), and when it didn't, I had to reevaluate the movie but never gave it another chance. Until now. Yes, as it turns out, Rachel Bilson's character is very real. In fact, every character in this movie is exactly that - real. The film begins by introducing us to various couples, and all of them - young, old, married, new - are falling apart. Things get a little too simplified and stereotypical, as most of the men involved come off as unfaithful assholes while the women seem generally psychotic and insane. But the important thing is that none of them are perfect. They're human. And that's such a rarity in movies, if you really think about it. I won't share (spoil) the various conflicts and their resolutions, but this is certainly a movie where everybody's "in the wrong" to one degree or another but no one is really to blame. It starts out feeling like an all-out assault on marriage and monogamy but ends up being more of a commentary on what love and commitment really are. Make no mistake; this is no happy, touching love story. If anything, it's a film that'll make you question the actions taken by the characters and the policies of being in a long-term relationship in general. The movie wasn't flawless, but it was short and simple enough to never feel boring. Plus the cast was great. It's a pretty real (albeit bleak at times) movie that avoids Hollywood cliches for the most part. I do recommend it, but it's by no means a must-see.