Wednesday, February 15, 2006
The Last Sign (2005)
Director: Douglas Law
Starring: Andie MacDowell, Samuel Le Bihan Tim Roth, Margot Kidder
Recently widowed research scientist Kathy Macfarlane (MacDowell) is trying to hold her life together. Odd things have been happening since her emotionally disturbed husband, Jeremy (Roth), died in a car crash. She also has three kids to look after – including an argumentative teenage son – so Kathy decides the only option is to rent out the cottage on her property. Handsome stranger Marc (Le Bihan) moves in, but she distrusts him – especially when someone starts making prank calls at 12:15 every morning. But is Marc to blame? Kathy’s apparently psychic colleague Endora (Kidder) suggests she should start looking for the ‘signs’…
This is direct-to-video drama dreck at its absolute worst. Aside from the implausible character motivations and continuity errors (Kathy's son appears out of nowhere when he is supposed to be out of town with his sisters) the screenplay offers dialogue so wooden that only Pinocchio would say it rang true. The considerable talents of Roth (Pulp Fiction) and Kidder (Superman) are no match for it, although they do provide some relief in an otherwise abominable hour and a half of cinematic torture. The worst offender is Samuel Le Bihan, who would be hard pressed landing a role on The Bold and the Beautiful. On those occasions where he doesn't sound like he is reading his lines, he is using improper inflection or putting emphasis on the wrong word. MacDowell is just her usual one-dimensional self, vacillating between sweet smiles and brow-furrowing depending on what the script calls for.
The Last Sign is one of those movies that just seems to exist for no reason. It's not cheap and ugly enough to be laughed at, and it doesn't have a single event or idea worth discussing. It is one of those most unfortunate and ill-gotten celluloid creatures: The viewer just wants it to be over.
VERDICT: 1/5
RATINGS
5/5 The Empire Strikes Back
4/5 Star Wars
3/5 Revenge of the Sith
2/5 Attack of the Clones
1/5 The Phantom Menace
# posted by The Fearless Writer @ 1:52 PM 
