One of the most tragic things in the human experience is suicide. When a person becomes so despondent, so devoid of hope that the only way the can see is death it is the nadir of existence. This act is the ultimate in desperation and in most cases completely selfish. The one who is driven to take their own live may try to consider those that will be left behind but most times there is no way to gauge the sense of loss that will be felt by friends and family. I suppose many suicides give a lot of thought and consideration to their last words, those that will be in the note they leave behind. To those committed to this course of action this little note will become the last legacy; they way they will be remembered. That has to be a difficult task; to write that final note that has to sum up all the pent up emotions the suicide is experiencing. Over the years there have been a lot of films that consider suicide. This is only nature since one of the founding principles of cinema is to portray the full range and depths of emotional and this subject does lend itself to such an exploration. The film ‘The Last Word’ is one of the most unusual suicide themed movies ever made. Considering the inherent difficulties in this topic this film is surprisingly touching and poignant. What goes a long way to making this movie work so well is the perspective the narrative takes. The story centers on Evan (Wes Bentley) who earns his living by composing suicide notes. Right there the film maker has come up with a unique vantage point to tell this tale. When a movie deals with death on this level one of the best ways to go is two present it as either a dark comedy or a dramatic comedy. In this case the latter was chosen. I can see this topic taken down a dark comedy route but if that was done it might have lost some of its depth and ability to connect with the audience. As a dramatic comedy it is coin two sides; life and death, truth and lies. It is a touchy subject that is handled with taste and class and that elevates the film far beyond what you might think at first. A movie such as this deserves to have been made but there was no way a major studio would ever consider it. This is not something that will do well in the box office but fortunately those of us that love film can turn to the independent film world. A film maker turns to a project like this out of a desire to create something different and the art of film is expanded by such efforts. Taking on the DVD distribution of this movie was Image Entertainment. They are well known for giving a little Indy gem like this a chance so take a chance and give this one shot; you will be glad you did.

The film was written ands directed by Geoffrey Haley. His previous work was mostly as a Steadicam operator which afforded him the opportunity to work besides some of the greatest directors of this generation. He is best known for a little scene in the award winning ‘American Beauty’ where he shot the scene of the plastic bag adrift in the wind. Some may think that holding a camera is a simple job but for a man like Haley it was a film course set out in the real world. He obviously paid attention and interacted with the directors he worked for; it shows here. This is his first featured length film as writer and director but he shows a considerable degree of polish and control in both endeavors. There is a sensitivity displayed here where Haley gets into the emotional motivation of his characters providing the viewers with a psychological portrait that is fantastic to watch as it unfolds. Evan is shown to be a quiet, deeply emotional person who feels for his clients. He has trouble in his own life mostly stemming from his reserved natural; unable to come out of his shell. The story takes a beautifully done romantic direction when he meets the sister of one of his late clients, Charlotte (Winona Ryder). Evan is immediately drawn to her but initially unable to express himself. He provides a means of expression for the most desperate but is cannot break away from quoting poetry. Juxtaposed to this shy young man Charlotte is a free spirit who embraces life. There are some technical flaws inherent in the way Haley tells this story but I felt that they just made the film real and understandable on an emotional level. It is possible to overly refine a film and lose the heart but Harley avoids this trap very well. His characters are beset by foibles and he is not afraid to them these shortcomings show.

As the director of this film Haley had to make the difficult transition from helping fulfill another artist’s vision to realizing his own. He maintains the narrative of the story well by allowing sufficient time to build the characters and situations naturally. Besides the conflict of life and death this film is concerned with the clash between lies and the truth. Evan is so taken by Charlotte that he invents a back story to explain why he is at her brother’s funeral. He is so unsure of himself and how his unusual vocation will be perceived that he attempts to build a relationship with Charlotte on these fabrications. This is a reflection in his own life of what he does for others. Evan tries to put a nice acceptable spin on suicide notes. He makes his living on the tragedy of others and as such is ill equipped to deal on a real basis with his own. He spends his life on the edge of despondent people and their emotional damage and that has taken a heavy toll on him. Charlotte doesn’t back down and pursues him needing to bring him to life perhaps to counter the unacceptable loss of her brother.

This is one of the quirkiest romantic films I have ever seen and it works very well. The ending is ultimately satisfying bringing closure to the audience. So many romantic flicks are so by the numbers that you can predict virtually every line of dialogue. Here is an example of a film maker thinking out side the box and delivering something fresh. Bentley has worked rather consistently since his appearance in ‘American Beauty’ but this is his best performance to date. He brings out the subtle nuances of his character perfectly. Ryder may have had some very public problems but she is an actress that shines in an off beat film like this. Together they bring a strange yet wonderful chemistry to this film. This film is admittedly not for everyone and I mean that as a compliment. For those out there with a taste for something off the beaten track this is a fine choice.