Movie Review: "Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World"

What's a Summer Movie Season without a film about the Apocalypse?  Sure, it's been about thirteen years since "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon" duked it out for box office supremacy, but the end of humanity has been touched on by many Summer blockbusters in recent memory, such as "The Avengers", "War of the Worlds" and every "Men In Black" movie.

"Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World" is definitely an unconventional movie that covers this topic, going the route of dark romantic comedy/drama than big budget action, but, seeing that we've already had more than our fair share of big budget explosions and Hollywood glam this season, a little change is more than welcome.

An asteroid, nicknamed Matilda, is on a collision course towards the Earth, and all attempts by the world's top scientists and astronauts have failed (think of it as the alternate universe where Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis didn't succeed).  Here we find Dodge (Steve Carell).  Upon the breaking news that the world is going to end, his wife leaves him, his friends start acting crazy (swingers parties, illegal drug use, etc), his coworkers start killing themselves, and Dodge is left feeling empty and apathetic, with only a dog that is abruptly left in his care.

Suddenly, his eccentric neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley) shows up on his fire escape in tears about missing the final plane to England to visit her parents.  When a riot breaks out in the middle of their street, Dodge makes a deal with Penny that he will get her to her parents in England (he knows a man with his own plane) if he will come with her to track down the girl that got away from him.  Along the way, they encounter looters, assassination attemptees, an orgy at an Applebee's knock-off, and, somehow, find the beauty that surrounds us when there's nothing left to lose.

Writer/director Lorene Scafaria (feature directorial debut, while previously having written the under-rated "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist") knocks it out of the park with this arthouse take on the end of the world.  Playing down the asteroid angle and focusing on the human interactions, Scafaria shows the wit, wisdom, fear, loneliness and catharsis that can come when the chips are stacked against us, and how it's okay to let go.

While there are notable bit parts from the likes of Martin Sheen, Rob Corddry, Adam Brody, and Patton Oswalt (not to mention a cameo by Steve Carell's real-life wife Nancy Carell as his estranged wife Linda), Steve Carell and Keira Knightley dominate the screen for the most of the movie.  And it should not come as a shock that they're wonderful.  Carell's subtle charm is perfect for Dodge, and Knightley hasn't been better in recent memory.  While Carell has been taking on slightly more serious roles such as in "Dan in Real Life" and "Little Miss Sunshine", Knightley lightens up here and is vastly more bubbly than in her other recent movies such as "Atonement".  And while both Carell and Knightley are great on their own, their chemistry lights up the screen despite the dark subject matter.

There's always a scene stealer in movies like this, and it comes from actor Mark Moses (TV's "Mad Men" and "Desperate Housewives") as the TV anchorman covering the asteroid.  His calm poise and assuring tone sets the mood and keeps going until his final broadcast where he gives an Edward Murrow-like monologue.  Perhaps only a bit player at best, Moses officially steals the show here.

For a long time now, distributor Focus Features has been a favorite imprint of mine, releasing many of my favorite films like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and the aforementioned "Dan in Real Life".  What makes "Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World" so special is how low key it is.  We never see the asteroid.  We never see the failed NASA attempt to stop it.  It's not about survival.  It's about the human condition.  The film shows an answer to the age-old question "What would you do if you knew the world was going to end?".  Consequences aside, we see not just what our protagonists would do, but what many people would do throughout the film, and it's often beautiful and disturbing, but it's overall human.

I fear many audiences will not understand this film (at least not American audiences).  Granted, I base this statement on the young woman who sat in back of me in the theater who blurted out "That was sooo awful!" once the credits started rolling, but I fear she may not be the only one.  And it all goes back to my previous statements -- this is low key.  This isn't Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis destroying an asteroid.  This isn't Elijah Wood and Morgan Freeman frantically trying to survive the blast and fallout.  This is two people making one final journey together to get the last out of life.  If you need more than that, this film is not for you.  But, for those of us who love a good story for the story's sake, this film more than fits the bill, making it the best movie of the year thus far.

FINAL VERDICT:  While the cineplexes are chocked full of big budget action films, "Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World" is not only a wonderful alternative, but, by far, the best movie of Summer 2012 (at least by this point).  True, it's probably one of the darkest comedies I've seen in a long time, the sweet, beautiful story -- along with wonderful performances from Steve Carell and Keira Knightley -- make this film timeless.