SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD (2012)

Genre: Comedy/Romance
Director: Lorene Scafaria
Cast: Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, William Petersen, Adam Brody, Rob Corddry, Derek Luke, Connie Britton, Patton Oswalt, Rob Huebel, Gillian Jacobs, Melanie Lynskey, T.J. Miller, Melinda Dillon
RunTime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Some Drug Use And Coarse Language)
Released By:  Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: http://focusfeatures.com/seeking_a_friend_for_the_end_of_the_world/

Opening Day: 2 August 2012

Synopsis: With the world ending in 26 days, everyone is living out their most debauched and outrageous fantasies. But not Dodge (Carell) and Penny (Knightley). As tempting as wild parties and anarchy sound, he’s on a mission to reconnect with his first love and she’s desperate to get home to her family. With all rules out of the window, their journey together sparks a love that will endure to the world’s last hour.

Movie Review:

The end of the world has been talked about and debated on for centuries, with most recent speculation centring around how it could very well be at the end of this year, coinciding with the end of the Mayan calendar. And in response, Hollywood has exercised its most vivid imagination to come up with various doomsday scenarios- though mostly these are in the form of big-budget noisy blockbusters designed for spectacle more than anything.

It’s worthwhile noting that Lorene Scafaria, who’s making her directorial debut following her critically acclaimed scripting effort ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist’, has taken a decidedly different tack on the apocalyptic scenario. Instead of hysterics, she has opted for a low-key offbeat comedic approach that focuses intimately on the connection between two lonely individuals as they await the arrival of that fateful day. 

In fact, the event is less important than the way our two protagonists deal with it, so in the film’s opening minutes, we quickly learn that efforts to stop an asteroid’s impending collision with our planet have failed. Steve Carell’s joyless insurance salesman Dodge learns the news over the radio the same time as we do, and that very evening his wife (played by Carell’s real offscreen wife Nancy) takes off with a man she’s already having an affair with. 

With just 21 days left, Dodge finds comfort in routine, reporting to work as per usual- though the signs demonstrate that things are anything but normal. Some employees have simply up and left the company, leaving the skeletal workforce of five scrambling to fill the other empty positions- including that of the recently vacated Chief Financial Officer (CFO). But Dodge is jolted from his stupor when a jumper lands on his windscreen and shatters it, bringing him back to the reality confronting the rest of the world. 

At this point, Scafaria briefly widens the scope of the film to take in how others are dealing with the end of days. Most prominently, Dodge’s friend Warren (Rob Corddry) invites him to a celebration of reckless living, where he proceeds to serve alcohol to his kids and invites all his guests to try heroin. When you don’t know what else to live for, one logical if not rational response would be simply to live it in careless abandon. 

But Dodge resists this type of life, and ultimately finds purpose when he meets his apartment neighbour Penny (Keira Knightley), a funky effervescent girl who with her vinyl records is in Scafaria’s world meant to be the embodiment of cool. Penny persuades Dodge to embark on a road trip to find his long-lost childhood sweetheart Olivia- whom he finds a note from- and thus begins a quirky journey with a simple objective of finding closure. Indeed, if you’re only left with a few days in your life, wouldn’t you want to put right what you left wrong?

Closure of course isn’t just for Dodge, who eventually reconnects with his long-estranged father (Martin Sheen), but also for Penny, as she exchanges final words with her parents in distant England. Like any road movie, the interesting bits are in the pit stops- and among the colourful ones in Dodge and Penny’s journey are a well-fortified bunker of a band of survivalists (led by Derek Luke’s Speck) as well as just about the friendlist Friendly’s where love flows as freely as the booze. 

Yet amidst the distractions, Scafaria knows her focus should rightly be on Dodge and Penny, and never does she lose her sight on the bond that develops between them. No matter how formulaic their romance is, both characters come together in such a sweet and poignant fashion that you can’t quite help but let your hearts go out to them. As the title suggests, this is about the search for true companionship, a partner to be your friend till death do you part, and Scafaria conveys this beautifully. 

Accompanying both our protagonists on their journey are some lovely tunes, a signature of Scafaria that began with ‘Nick and Norah’ and continues here. The songs are a mix of indie rock and oldies, and no matter contemporary or classic, are eclectic and evocative in their own way. This is Scafaria’s directorial debut, and already she has established a confident style that we’d like to see in future movies. 

Those expecting- or perhaps fearing- some surprise twist at the end can rest easy, Scafaria stays true to the promise of the concept right through to the end- so yes, the world does end. How it ends for Dodge and Penny however is the key- and the final scene will certainly leave a bittersweet lump in your throat. Even though it doesn’t revel in spectacle, this apocalyptic romantic dramedy is still engaging in its own right, its finest achievement in getting its audience to always hold those dear to our hearts close in our arms. 

Movie Rating:

(The unusual apocalyptic movie that’s bittersweet, amusing, romantic and poignant at the same time)

Review by Gabriel Chong