By A Harmas.
Las Vegas seems to be the perfect setting for some very good movies: “Leaving Las Vegas”, “Ocean’s 11”, among them. Here is a comedy that has surprised me because for once, the usual marketing and casting decisions have paid off. Having Freeman, Kline, De Niro, and Douglas has resulted in very good chemistry, with all of the stars giving stellar performances. Each has his moment in the spotlight, and if you bring Steenburgen glowing in a minor but very important role, you get a fine film.
Four friends meet in Vegas to celebrate Billy’s (Douglas) impulsive marriage to a very young woman. Of course, since they have known each other for decades, we are going to listen to some very honest remarks about their feelings about each other, some recent tension between Patty and Billy, and a bit of a love triangle that is well, kind of interesting.
“Last Vegas” has a little bit for everyone in the audience. There is plenty of eye candy to go around in the Vegas setting, with the mandatory pool scenes, lounge scenes, and a party that will be talked about for a while. The writers have even thrown in a few transvestites, some performers from the ever popular Cirque De Soleil troupes, and even old classic Vegas is represented. At times, it all feels like a marketing push, but here is where our five performers come in and manage to get our attention.
It is hard to select which one does the best job, and this could be argued, but I found Freeman’s charm to be quite remarkable. He does the best with his character giving it a bit of weight by mixing his boredom and the frustrations of old age, and he turns on his appeal and charm in most of the Vegas scenes, proving himself a very funny performer. His performance is brutally honest, as he doesn’t hold much back and teaches his peers and a few young people where the joy in life is.
Kline comes second, funny as always, but adding an extra dimension to his role. He must make some important decisions, and it a character’s move that would have felt forced in another film, but Kline has always pushed the envelope in his role, and this is not an exception. Douglas and De Niro are dramatic performers and get to shine here, too, and this success is mostly because of their interaction with the lovely Steenburgen, an actress who has been missing from the big screen for a long time.
Yes, there is excess and gratuitous moments in here, but for the most part, the language is kept in check, and the comedy is broad and with enough taste to appeal to many ages in the audience. It’s a fun comedy with a big, wise heart at its core.
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