‘Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’ is a sweet, sad, and funny movie in that order. Despite it’s apocalyptic title, it is a small pensive film that has none of the action or frenetics that one would expect in an end of the world film. I would describe it as a romantic comedy, but not really.
As an astroid nears Earth and total global annihilation is only a month a way, the wife of a man named Dodge (Steve Carrell) flees in a panic. Dodge finds himself alone facing Judgement Day and decides to set out on a road trip to find his high school sweetheart whom he always considered the love of his life. Dodge’s plan takes on a different direction when his quirky neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley) decides to tag along after ending her romance with a freeloading boyfriend. Along the way they pick up a stray dog named Sorry (cute backstory to the dog’s name).
The first part of the film is more about comedy. Maybe that’s too strong of a word. Perhaps a series of amusing situations. There is a plethora of comic talent from the likes of Rob Corrdry and Patton Oswald. The film examines all the ways people are choosing to spend the last days of their lives. For the most part, in either non-stop revelry or mayhem. Each situation is amusing, like Corrdry challenging his 8 year old daughter to a drinking contest or Dodge being set up on a blind date, but at the same time slightly sad in the surreal atmosphere that there is only 27 days left on Earth.
Some of the sad amusement (new coin phrase) is seeing some people clinging to their lives as tightly as possible. Dodge shows up to work everyday and parks in his reserved space despite an almost barren parking garage. The Human Resource director asks the remaining cubicle workers if anyone wants the recently vacated CFO job. Dodge’s house cleaner whistles along as if nothing is happening. When Dodge tells her she doesn’t have to come back anymore, she is terrified that he is firing her. People striving for normalcy in the face of Armageddon.
As the rioting increases in the cities, Dodge grabs Penny and Sorry and sets out cross country to find his lost love. When Penny asks Dodge if the woman he’s seeking is “the one that got away”, Dodge replies that they all got away, but she was the first. Penny’s quirky artistic nature is the perfect compliment to Dodge’s milquetoast company man persona. Dodge seems to be the only one taking the end of the world with the somberness and seriousness that one would think it deserves. Maybe that is part of his problem for how can one act rationally to such an irrational situation?
Carrell does a masterful job at portraying Dodge’s inner pain, not from the looming end of the world, but from life. He has led a life of safe and rational choices and it did not bring him fulfillment. From his loveless marriage to his strained relationship with his father (Martin Sheen) who left him when he was a boy, he played every step of his life the way he was supposed to and he has nothing to show for it. I know a lot of people who don’t like Steve Carrell as an actor because they can only think of him as his character Michael Scott on ‘The Office’ (which baffles me how anyone can’t love Michael Scoot btw), but Carrell is truly a gifted actor with a broad range. He is one of those actors whose expressions can fill long silences with more meaning than any amount of dialogue ever could. He can combine humor with deep emotion simultaneously. No easy feat.
Dodge’s calm demeanor takes a backseat to Penny’s antics and her love of life despite the coming apocalypse. Penny is as alone as Dodge in the world, but the romantic in her is determined to see Dodge reunited with his lost love. Despite Dodge’s disapproving nature, her lightness bolsters him. In the midst of non-stop parties and frivolity, which has dark and somber undertones, she is the light that keeps him moving forward and looking ahead when there is no ahead.
This movie will not do well at the box office. It is not that type of film. It is a film that will please anyone who a happens to stumble upon it and takes the time to enjoy it. It’s deeply philosophical while maintaining a lightness and humor. I really enjoyed this film.
I give this film *** stars
No comments:
Post a Comment