VHS : The Last Supper [1996]

Rating: - Little Known but Very Insightful Film Full of Intrigue
The Last Supper is not one of the most well known films of the 1990s but it does stand out as a personal favourite of mine. It is an interesting concept with a good script and fine acting but with a moral to the story.

A group of five left wing students live together. When one of them hitches a ride home with a truck driver after his car breaks down they invite the driver in for dinner. When he eventually he becomes aggressive they kill him and trying to avoid police involvement they simply hide his truck and bury him in the back garden. When a while later they find out that he was himself a murderer, they are faced with an interesting dilema: Having potentially stopped this killer from doing more damage, how many other potentially dangerous people can be stopped? If they could go back in time and kill Hitler to stop World War II & the Holocaust, would that not be good in the long run?

So they formulate a very dangerous plan. Every Saturday, they will invite a 'right wing a######' over to dinner and discuss his/her views. If they can get him to see reason over dinner, they let him/her live, if they cannot, they serve them a glass of poisoned wine and bury them. The students are intolerant of those they themselves find intolerant and before long, they have taken to not giving people a fair chance, and even simply murdering those with views that simply differ from their own and completely lose sight of their original intention (to stop future Hitlers).

The film climaxes in a fantastic way. Sheer chance brings one of the most celebrated, conservative speakers to their dinner table. But away from the eye of the TV camera he is far more intelligent man than they realised. Now the ultimate question; this man believes in sensible debate over brute force and like to promote change. Do they give him the wine?

The film raises so many moral points. By playing God, are these students every bit as bad as their victims. Are they every bit as intolerant as well. And just what to do with the most powerful of their guests? The film is also very well made and shows the hypocracy of its protagonists and the futility of their actions. Watch by yourself if you want, but I suggest you watch it with friends with differing points of view. If you are left wing, invite right wing friends over and vice versa, and if you would have killed Hitler if you had the chance, watch with friends who think would talk to him. Just don't be surprised if they refuse your offer of wine!

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Rating: - Diaz's Second Shining Moment
A largely unknown movie (dispite the presence of Cameron Diaz fresh from her breakthrough role in 'The Mask') that diserves a bigger audience in my mind. Highly thought provoking, well acted, well directed. However, this film is not for everyone. If you felt the wordiness of V for Vendetta was yawn-enducing, you will NOT like this movie. Not that I consider this film overly-talky myself, but there is little 'action' (aside from near the beginning) to lighten the in depth talk, however I feel the dark humour and unique directing style makes up for this.

If you are open minded or a deep thinker, watch this movie. If you can't stand movies without pleanty of sex, violence and action, don't.

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Rating: - "Shut the f*** up, Luke!"
This film is classified as a comedy, but described as a razor- sharp social debate, and I think it works better as the former.
Certainly it's smart and well scripted, with it's knowing deconstruction of the kind of smug principles of the '90s armchair liberal (and I've been a little guilty of that), but at times the feel of the film seems just a little too knowing. The acting is all great, particuarly from Courtney Vance (you'd probably know his face) and this is the best I've seen Cameron Diaz do. The film is mainly funny in a dry sort of vein, with the occasional dark slapstick (like the woman who doesen't drink wine). I guess I'm not selling it too well here, at least not as the bitingly incisive social commentary it thinks it is, but as cool, cynical comedy goes this is right up there at the top, and definitely worth seeing. If you like Six Feet Under or (at a stretch) Alley McBeal, you'd probably get this.

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Rating: - The Ultimate in Dark Humour!
This film is possibly the best dark comedy I have ever seen. It received very lttle publicity upon release, which is suprising considering the cast and the scripting. The performance from Ron Eldard is one of his best but is surpassed by Courtney B. Vance who perfoms his part with an aire of genius. The visual mental breakdown he suffers is performed masterfully. The twists make it more interesting and the role reversal is brilliant. The use of art in the film is fitting and adds to the atmosphere. This film rules. Made better with the presence of Cameron. Only a fool would pass up the chance to own this film (Or someone who already owns it.)BUY IT PLEASE! It needs more people to plug it so it will be remebered in history for its brilliance.

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Rating: - Dark humour to die for!
This is my favourite film EVER. It got very little publicity when it was on cinema release and I have no idea why. A group of post-grad ultra liberal students accidentally kill a violent sexist/racist man at one of their weekly suppers. Initially horrified at what they'd done, the group beautifully rationalise the situation, bury the man in their back garden and - in a bizarre twist to their liberal thinking - realise they would be doing the world a great service if they bumped off similarly non-liberal thinking people weekly at their regular group supper date. We then see a succession of racist, sexist, homophobic rightwing dinner guests at their table; the housemates quiz them on their views and collectively decide whether they should give them poisoned wine or ordinary wine. Perfectly dark, perfectly hilarious. Your brain will love you for the rest of your life if you buy this movie - oh and it's got cameron diaz in it too.