Last Life In The Universe
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: C+ Film: C+
A man tries to kill himself, but he is just having one of
those days where he cannot get done what he is trying to do in Pen-Ek
Ratanaruang’s Last Life In The Universe (2003), a matter-of-fact tale
about self-destruction and how nothing seems to go right, even in death. As Kenji (Asano Tadanobu) makes his first
attempt by hanging himself, a very annoying door bell with a loud buzzer interrupts
his “rest in peace” and peace in general.
With noise like that, no wonder he’s lost it.
It is a surprise visit by a friend who has a six-pack and
annoying good mood to offer. Kenji
postpones his evening plans and his odyssey begins. Ratanaruang, who co-wrote the film, had already shown what he was
capable of with 6ixtynin9 (reviewed elsewhere on this site), but he
seems to never totally make it a well-rounded experience. The hanging-on element is what his films are
actually about, but wining it like Woody Allen only works if you are
Woody. The film has some moments, but
the film ultimately does not hold together, offering a less satisfying result
than his humorous thriller 6ixtynin9.
The laughs are light, but if you are curious, you might get more out of
it than this critic.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image was shot by the
distinctive cinematographer Christopher Doyle, H.K.S.C., whose more recent
credits include Liberty Heights, Made, In The Mood For Love,
Hero and The Quiet American.
This work is not bad, but not quite up to those films, nor is the detail
as good here as I had hoped for. Dolby
Digital 5.1 mix is better than the 2.0 Stereo with Pro Logic surrounds as the
5.1 has an EX matrixed signal. DTS
would have been particularly interesting in this case. Extras include four trailers, including one
for this film and one for the first Directors Series box that imitates the
famous trailer for Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange; something many
a film after did for a long time. There
are also weblinks, an interview with the director (from 4/3/2002; runs about 20
minutes) and a stills section of Chris Doyle’s preparation for the film. A good package for the curious overall,
another quality DVD release from Palm.
- Nicholas Sheffo
