The Last Day

(le dernier jour)

Synopsis:

At Christmas time, 19 year old Simon returns home to visit his dysfunctional family with Louise, a fearless girl he met during his train ride. While Simon struggles to cope with the growing distance between him and his parents, he starts to examine his feelings when Louise develop a liaison of her own with his childhood friend Mathieu. As dark family secrets are uncovered, Simon begins to understand the truth about his childhood and his new friend.

Quick Thoughts:

As many other reviewers have noted, “The Last Day” is certainly a French film. With little dialogue and an abundant use of symbolic imagery, this slow moving film chronicles Simon’s isolation and loneliness over the Christmas holiday. Now, I do not mind a film that makes me pay attention and think – however, I found the pacing to be too slow at times. And in the end, even though some initial questions were answered in a surprising twist, I felt that the overall storyline went nowhere.

I’d also not that this film is a questionable entry in both the realm of queer cinema, as well as a holiday film. For the former, there are underlying tones of Simon’s attraction and a seemingly past with Mattieu. However, it goes nowhere and is at best, Simon accepting his attractions to men amid an unrequited attraction from his childhood. Regarding the latter, this film technically is a Christmas film because it takes place over the Christmas holiday. But you won’t find any decorations or actually any imagery that indicates this is a holiday film. If you changed the date, little of the story would change.

In the end, unless you enjoy slow-paced, symbolic-ridden, French films, I’d probably watch something other than “The Last Day”. However, those who enjoy such a film may actually enjoy this queer film”