The Last Supper
What would you do to change the world? How far would you go to change the ideas of the world? In The Last Supper, a feature directorial debut from Stacy Title, a group of grad students invite someone to join them for dinner, and to talk about whatever comes up. During these dinners, they discuss subjects from what their careers are to social and governmental issues. In fact, they are determined to change the views of the most conservative people; if they do not succeed in changing their minds, consequences arise.
The movie is very funny in the way Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs was. In fact, I wonder why this picture never opened in theaters here in Utah. It was good enough and had a top-notch cast with a good story, but I guess they were weary about the subject matter. The movie stars several good actors, including Cameron Diaz (from The Mask), Ron Perlman (from City of Lost Children) and many other well-known actors.
The plot of the movie seems more like a background for the ideas of the writers. The movie asks philosophical questions, such as "would you shoot Hitler if you met him in 1909, before the Holocaust?", and if the guests don't answer them correctly, the five people poison them. Of course, the murders bring suspicion, and a local sheriff (Nora Dunn) starts snooping around. Eventually, the five people have to do something and quickly turn from "people who want to better the world" to "murderers." This movie has a lot of symbolism and deep thoughts that make the viewer think along with the characters in the movie.
The first person to show up is Zack (Bill Paxton) but he is just a guy who gave one of the guests a ride home. They invite him in and start talking. During the conversation, the five realize that Zack is extremely conservative, saying "Hitler had the right idea...". The group is upset by this, and Zack attacks one of them. It ends with Zack being stabbed in the back and buried in their backyard. Soon, they realize that they can start acting on their ideas, instead of sitting around letting the Republicans run the country. They begin to invite extreme "right-handed" people, including a homophobic preacher, an illiterate librarian, and an anti-environment freak. One night, however, a well-received "Republican" (who reminds me of Rush Limbaugh) who preaches on TV (Ron Perlman) runs into a couple of the groupies. They invite him over for dinner, expecting to kill him as well, but they are surprised when he turns out to be very liberal and only "plays" for the audience. "It's all about ratings," he says. Instead of them murdering him, he turns around and makes them question their own beliefs and what to do with him. The ending of the movie is very good and smart, just like the rest of the script.
I could go forever talking about all the cool things about this movie, but it would be better if you just rented it and watched the movie. I don't think I've ever thought this much during a movie since Mindwalk, a very interesting philosophical exercise. That movie had all talk and no action; The Last Supper has both and makes for a very entertaining movie. The only problem I had with the movie was during one of the scenes with one of the guests. They invite a 17 year old girl over who thinks sex education should be removed from schools. She lives, but the conversation is very disturbing and hard to watch, and it crosses the line into bad taste. But thankfully, it's a short scene and over quickly.
The best think about this movie is its actors. The best one probably is Ron Perlman, who doesn't have a big part, but its impressive. Bill Paxton is very good and almost frightening, especially after seeing his role in Twister. Cameron Diaz isn't as good as she was in The Mask, but she holds her own amongst all the actors. Courtney B. Vance is perfect as the leader of the group. His performance is strong and occasionally funny. Ron Eldard is hilarious as a painter, and he brings most of the laughs in the movie. Jonathan Penner seems out of place, but he is funny nonetheless, keeping a count of the victims on his cast. Annabeth Gish is another hilarious addition and provides much humor by herself. There are also plenty of cameo-type appearances that are very (my favorite is the homophobic preacher, played by Charles Durning). Nora Dunn's character, the sheriff, starts out weakly and seems like a plot device for everyone who is thinking, "Doesn't anyone notice that these people are missing?" For a good woman-sheriff performance, watch Frances McDormand of Fargo.
The Last Supper is rated R. There is some violence, but mostly the deaths are done by poison. The language is harsh and occasionally unsettling. There is also some suggested sex and a scene that reminds me of a similar scene right out of The Truth About Cats and Dogs. If you aren't offended by Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, or any other movie like that, you might want to check this one out. It's a riot!
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