Zach Braff's new venture could very well be the sequel to his indie hit Garden State, said Desson Thomson in The Washington Post. The soundtrack is just as central to the movie's aura, and the saggy-faced Braff is adored by yet more ultra-gorgeous women. This film takes a look at the relationships of overgrown adolescent men who believe that adulthood is an option, not a necessity. 'œWhat makes The Last Kiss especially satisfying is its vision of love as the soul of partnership, rather than the crack high known as romance.' Braff's character, Michael, is on the cusp of 30, the age he calls 'œfreakout time,' said Carina Chocano in the Los Angeles Times. When his girlfriend (Jacinda Barrett) tells him she's pregnant, he reacts irresponsibly, picking up with a college sophomore played by the adorable Rachel Bilson. But while the crisis is supposed to feel like a coming-of-age, screenwriter Paul Haggis treats it as the predicament of a 40-ish married man. 'œThe events may be on track, but the existential despair smacks of midlife. I kept waiting for Alan Alda to show up.' Superb performances compensate for the uneven script, said Andrew O'Hehir in Salon.com. Bilson and Braff are charming, Barrett delivers lines with 'œhurricane-force,' and Blythe Danner is Oscar-caliber as Barrett's frustrated mom. 'œHer stormy, erratic gender-bender Lear performance elevates The Last Kiss above a well-made genre drama.'
Rating: R
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