Rarely, rarely do I go to a movie more than once. One, they're so expensive. Two, if I like it that much, I'll save my money to buy it when it comes out on DVD. Three, all the suspense and unexpected jokes lose something the second time around. But I could not wait to go back to \Last Orders,"" seeing it twice this weekend. I might even go again.
In the film, Michael Caine plays Jack, a friendly butcher whose last request is to have his ashes scattered into the sea at Margave. His son and three friends, including Bob Hoskins as Ray, make the trip, stopping at pubs and memorials along the way. Staying behind, though, is Helen Mirren as Jack's wife, Amy, who can't bring herself to go. She won't interrupt her weekly visit to her mentally handicapped daughter, whom all along Jack refused to acknowledge.
The amazing thing about the film is the way in which it unfolds itself. During the long car ride to Margave, we learn about the participants through serene flashbacks. Amy meets Jack picking hops before the war. Ray watches his daughter move away to Australia. Jack lies in a hospital bed figuring out a way to keep Amy out of debt. Bits and pieces begin to fit together, creating a hugely personal story. Despite a rather complicated chronology, it's not a thought puzzle; in fact, it makes a movie like ""Memento"" seem like a simple trick.
Rather, through flashbacks within flashbacks, we truly get to know these characters. From the start, we understand that Lenny's ""always pissed and always late."" Vic is at peace with his life as a funeral director. Vince is distant, still out to prove something to his father. The beauty of the film is that we never stop learning ""why."" The action's not the important part'we even start at the end, after Jack's death. What is important is who these characters are and how they relate to each other. And, each actor does a magnificent job of showing us just that.
""Last Orders"" is unlike any character study I've ever seen. Adapted by director Fred Schepisi from Graham Swift's novel, the characters aren't exaggerations of good and bad. They're all lovely, realistic people who hurt and help each other out of love. None of it seems larger than life; they just remind us how large life is. The more we understand the characters, the more we get pulled into their story. It gets to the point where I sobbed over the results of a simple horse race. Unlike melodrama, which cranks everything up until emotions become absurd, this movie pulls back, finding the most emotional punch in real life.
Here's where I normally recommend similar movies, but I worry that you might see them instead of ""Last Orders."" So, you have to run out and see that movie tonight, and then you can read on. So, it was as good as I said, right? Okay, you might also like ""Joe Gould's Secret."" Or, you could rent ""The Limey,"" Steven Soderbergh's movie that does similarly interesting things with non-linear storytelling. All in all, though, I can't stress enough how much I want you to see ""Last Orders,"" maybe even more than once.
