Customer Reviews

Last Orders

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Looking for a sentimental Brit flick that leaves you feeling good? Try LAST ORDERS with a stellar ensemble of favorite actors- Michael Caine, Helen Mirran, Bob Hoskins, David Hemmings and Tom Courtenay. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of old friends who travel from their favorite pub in London to the Margate Pier to scatter the ashes of one of their group, Jack, who has made the request his 'last orders' (phrase used when the bar is closing). Using flashbacks, the Fred Schepisi, director of SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, weaves a wonderful tale of one man's life as seen through the eyes of the friends and family who loved him.

Jack Dodd (Michale Caine) and Abby (Helen Mirran) were married for over 50 years. One of Jack's friends (Bob Hoskins) is a buddy from his WWII days who made his fortune playing the horses. Another (David Hemmings), is an ex-prize fighter. Yet another (Tom Cortenay), is an undertaker who began his career of tending to the dead during the war. Their son (Ray Winstone) is a successful Mercedes-Benz dealer who makes a good deal more money than his dad who never recovered from the fact his son would not join him in the family meat business.

On the trip to Margate Pier, each friend and family member recalls Jack, whose ashes are to be taken to the seaside place he and Abby visited years earlier. Each of them remembers a charming vignette that took place with Jack in London, southern England (Kent County) and/or the Middle East at some point during the last 50 years of the 20th century. This film is a must for the dedicated Anglophile and those nostalgic for past times. The transfer of the film is excellent and the beautiful shots include visits to a WWII memorial in Kent, Canterbury Cathedral, and Margate Pier which is really a sort of paved boardwalk ("the jetty washed away years ago").

It's about kind, happy people who love each other. What more could anyone possibly want in a film?

What more can I say, this film was thoroughly enjoyable. All the character portrayals are incredibly real. A great collection of actors doing what they do best.

There are no special effects here, just a fabulous heart-felt story.

Is it worth purchasing? Yes. Each time you watch it, you will laugh and you will cry.

Enjoy.

During a trip to scatter the ashes of their friend four mates bring their scattered memories together to tell a story of friendship love life and loss. This film shows the pain and struggle of dealing with death and the simple joys and wonders of living life. At the movies end I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. The cast of characters was a wonderful show of talent on both the actors and the writers parts I was truly involved. This movie is at the top of my list.

During a trip to scatter the ashes of their friend four mates bring their scattered memories together to tell a story of friendship, love, life, and loss. This film shows the pain and struggle of dealing with death and the simple joys and wonders of living life. At the movies end I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. The cast of characters was a wonderful show of talent on both the actors and the writers parts, I was truly involved. This movie is at the top of my list.

This movie describes perfectly the life, the atmosphere in England. The characters are so real. Excellent acting by Bob Hoskins, Michael Caine and all the cast. I was particularly impressed by Helen Mirren's performance, comparable to her performance in Greenfingers.

"Last Orders" is a reasonably simple plot: a guy dies, is cremated, and has his ashes scattered. Within that plot are enough twists to make your head spin. Michael Caine as Jack does a good job in a role that doesn't demand a huge emotional output. Caine delivers his usual subtle performance as he faces death and worries about leaving something to take care of his wife. Helen Mirren from Gosford Park as his wife Amy does her usually brilliant job of extracting tremendous depth, even with a meager framework from which to draw.

The cockney accents were difficult for me, from the USA, to decipher. It was about 1/3 of the way through before I started picking up on them. In the meantime, there are so many flashbacks with the past characters played by different actors that it becomes hard to figure out who from the present is who in the past. Newcomer JJ Field has nice screen presence as Michael Caine's younger Jack. Kelly Reilly as the beautiful young Amy doesn't much resemble Helen Mirren other than hair color, but brought life and energy to the role. I appreciated the issues of having a mentally disabled daughter and how each parent dealt with it. Laura Morelli played June, now an adult, lost in her own world, emotionally disconnected and isolated. Bob Hoskins does a nice job of carrying a torch for Amy. His younger self is well played by Anatol Yusef who sets the brothel workers abuzz with the size of his endowments. David Hemmings, 40 years after "Blow Up" looks quite different with eyebrows wildly careening across his brow, looking like escapees from Hogwarts.

As with one other reviewer, my wife who rented the flick walked out on it. Although it's not easy at first, it is rewarding to finally connect the dots on the picture, making a satisfying evening's entertainment. Enjoy!

The movies central characters are a bunch of bar buddies that have spent their adult lives in and around one another. When one of them dies, the life of the party; Michael Caine, his last orders are for his ashes to be poured in the Ocean off a local seaside resort pier. This requires the bunch of them (his 3 bar buddies and his son) to drive about a day away to complete this last task for their friend.

The dialogue is very well done, but I'm sorry to say for me, very hard to understand. As an American, the dialogue was fast and with too many British figures of speak to pick up quick. I'm sure I missed 25% of the movie. Given that, what I did catch was marvelous.

As with any group of people that spent their lives together, they are intertwined with tensions and there is a history behind each one. The movie flashes back to bits of recollection and gives some history for the tensions involved. I thought this was very well done. It gave you the true feeling that many have when a person passes away: He was just sitting here yesterday! This is really brought home with the flashbacks.

Michael Caine is the central character and the man that has passed away. His character and his past is well portrayed as well as that of his friends. You get a sense of what pulls them together as well as what repels them about one another. It is not a bigger than life story, but one you can easily imagine yourself being part of.

Here you see how some men grieve; silently, quietly and most often alone. You can also see as we all do, when another dies, we all start to take stock as well.

This is not a horribly sad movie, as the remembering is not done in a maudlin way. These men remember their friend, the fun they had together, the animosities each have felt at time, then like with most of us, life goes on.

Viewing this film a mere days after reading Graham Swift's splendid novel on which it is based, influenced my perception and no doubt limited my appreciation of it. Nevertheless, I found it to be rewarding on its own merits, a mercifully unfussy film with powerful performances by a first-rate cast.

What a delightful treat. In many ways it is a moving essay/ testament about the death of a friend and the end of an era. Yet, with the absolutely brilliant cast and dialog, this movie is like reliving beautiful moments in one's life: the loves, tragedies, sharing and joy of friendship. Because of the great writing, direction and editing, I was truly lifted by this film. Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Helen Mirren,Michael Caine, Tom Courtney and David Hemmings all shine in their moments. Ray Winstone has become a terrific actor and now belongs with the elete of British film actors. Hoskins, always so much better in these British dramas then Hollywood junk, shines. "Last Orders" is a film I hold in the highest regard. There are moments in this film where you feel like you are among friends. Suberb indeed!!