The Last Kiss (2006)

Instant Favorite.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Michael (Zach Braff) is about to turn 30. His girlfriend Jenna (Jacinda Barrett) is pregnant. They seem to be perfect and they don't want to get married right now. Her parents Anna (Blythe Danner) and Stephen (Tom Wilkinson) seem to be happy together. The young couple attends a wedding with their friends. Chris (Casey Affleck) and Lisa (Lauren Lee Smith) have a baby and are constantly fighting. Izzy (Michael Weston) is heart-broken over his ex Arianna (Marley Shelton). Kenny (Eric Christian Olsen) hooks up with new girl Danielle (Cindy Sampson). Michael meets Kim (Rachel Bilson) and faces his midlife crisis.There are too many couples. I don't know if it's Paul Haggis' need for multiple stories. Zach Braff feels subdued by the various relationships of his friends. The best couple is Danner and Wilkinson. It would have been great to concentrate on only those two relationships. There are some solid work. Besides the veterans, Barrett does some of her best work. This is not the quirky relationship comedy in the advertisements and it shouldn't try to be.

The Last Kiss (2006): Dir: Tony Goldwyn / Cast: Zach Braff, Jacinda Barrett,Tom Wilkinson, Blythe Danner, Rachel Bilson: Observant romance regarding moving from one faze of life to another. Zach Braff plays an architect turning thirty and feels life grinding to a halt when his girlfriend becomes pregnant. Her parents have their own issues regarding communication. His friends are reluctant to settle down and seek escape. Director Tony Goldwyn is backed with a screenplay that detail the character well. This is a huge improvement over films such as Someone Like You where relationships and intelligence are distant strangers. Excellent performance from Braff who struggles with infidelity with a college student who seems to promise freedom. Braff will take huge measures to prove himself. Jacinda Barrett plays his trusting girlfriend. Her parents are played by Tom Wilkinson and Blythe Danner. Wilkinson plays a counselor whose marriage is in trouble because he lacks good communication skills. Danner is a veteran of it all but must decide whether years of marriage is worth saving. Rachel Bilson steals her moments playing the female for whom Braff has the affair with. Strong message regards the unwillingness or reluctance to settle down and the reality that choices bring responsibility as Braff learns long after that forbidden last kiss. Score: 10 / 10

"I've been thinking about my life lately, and everything feels pretty planned out. There's no more surprises" – this is the line of Zach Braff's character (Michael) in the movie The Last Kiss. And this is the line that almost took the love of his life, although it is the same line that made him realized that, yes - it is the love of his life.The Last Kiss is a movie about Love – not romance. It is a movie about doing the right thing – not the hot thing. It is a movie about Kindness being the source of True Love – not passion or any commercialized cute adjectives.The Last Kiss is a honest take on the real perils of life – in the same manner that it deals with surviving these perils and still achieving both true love and true life.In the movie, Zach Braff plays the character of Michael – a twenty nine year old Architect who had a steady three years relationship with Jenna, who is three months pregnant and whom he's planning to marry. Everything seems smooth until Michael met Kim on his friends wedding. Kim is a sexy, free-spirited college chic (played by Rachel Bilson) who's hard to refuse if you're on Michael's pants, err, shoes.Both Michael and Jenna are surrounded with people dealing with difficulty of having a relationship be it a new or a thirty year old marriage. Michael's friend and co-worker Chris is full and fed up on his neurotic wife, Izzy who can't let go of his childhood sweetheart, and the handsome stud Kenny who is afraid of commitment. Jenna's parents on the other hand are almost on the brink of separation – thanks to his father's Kindness (not understanding – yes, this movie made me realized that it is not enough to understand the mistakes of the people around you, but to be kind enough to embrace these people, and accept and let go of the mistake – the act that they committed).These situations added pressure on their relationship. As if it is no longer possible to live a life that is shaped by love, trust and commitment. Michael made the mistake. He chose to make that mistake. He also chooses to correct that mistake. The same mistake that Jenna's mother committed three years ago. Their lives did not end after committing these mistakes. It only started there.In the end, Michael and Jenna started – again. This time they know better. They Love better. They will eventually live better.MY TAKE The movie's tagline is about making choices, and the good thing on this movie is that it provided honest inputs for the audience to ponder the better side of choices. The movie also put Love on its rightful place. Jenna's father, played by Tom Wilkinson is heart-warming. Some of my favorite lines from him are:Stop talking about love. Every asshole in the world says he loves somebody. It means nothing. It still doesn't mean anything. What you feel only matters to you. It's what you do to the people you say you love, that's what matters. It's the only thing that counts. (If you want something) Do whatever it takes. You can't fail if you don't give up. People know the truth. They may not like it or want to know it, but they always know. Lie and you'll lose her.Aside from the consistency of the story and the cast's brilliance – the soundtrack complimented every scene which makes the movie more delightful to watch.

I actually liked this movie. It made me think about myself, As i believe every man and woman who is grown up enough could easily relate to this story line. Everyone will go through this phase of his/her life. Everyone suits perfectly in their characters. i loved the acting of Jacinda Barrett. Kind of felt that she over reacted a bit in the movie but that is what movie is all about other wise it wouldn't have lasted more than 30 minutes. It circulates around Love, faith, betray..etc in a relationship but in a well organized way. Makers divided all this contents in a very systematic way amongst all friends in the movie. I liked how the movie happily ended as it should have been. This movie gives a message of faith and Love to the people and shows the importance of trust in a relationship. Well this movie has a mature storyline and every grown up teenager should go see it if they want to have a happy future. i would give it 6 out of 10.