Saturday, November 29, 2008

Noir Cinema: THE LAST LULLABY


I've now had a chance to watch Jeffrey Goodman's noir gem The Last Lullaby and am happy to report a thumbs up on the film. If you're wanting a fast-paced Transporter or Die Hard type experience then you're coming to the wrong joint. Rather, Last Lullaby is slower and moodier as one might expect from serious, modern noir. And just before the viewer might think things are a little too slow, maybe a good time to wander away and fix a sandwich, Goodman reels us back in with a sudden jolt of violence. And not cartoon violence. Not Captain Kirk fist fighting a lizard man violence. When Price (Tom Sizemore) pulls aside a would-be rapist and gives him a pasting, we are offered a palpable experience which we know hurts. When somebody takes it in the gut or the groin or the face it hurts. Characters don't shrug off punches like Rocky Balboa. And yet this is not an action film. It's very much about character. And while the screenplay by Max Allen Collins & Peter Biegen is good, the real triumph of the film is in the performances of Tom Sizemore and Sasha Alexander. We see the loneliness in Sizemore's eyes, the desperate need on Alexander's face.

The film was shot mostly in and around Shreveport, Louisiana, and Jeffrey Goodman has likely carved a place for himself in American cinema with this debut. I look forward to his next project.

6 comments:

Craig Zablo said...

I'll have to keep an eye out for this one. Thanks for the tip!

pattinase (abbott) said...

Sizemore is another case of a poorly used actor.

Graham Powell said...

Shreveport! No shit? My hometown!

That doesn't even look like Sizemore in the picture. He's aged a lot in recent years.

Lee Goldberg said...

It's a great movie. I loved it.

Anonymous said...

It is indeed a terrific movie, as good as or better than any film noir of recent vintage. This guy is going to do great things.

Scott P.

Paul D Brazill said...

Never heard of this but it looks great. Ta for the tip off!