The Last Days of Disco

Starring: Chloe Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale, Chris Eigeman, Mackenzie Astin, Matt Keeslar, Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Beals, Matt Ross
Directed by: Whit Stillman
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A small group of friends discuss life as they try and transition to adulthood while frequenting a famous disco.

Review:

Tim: It certainly seems like there are people who love The Last Days of Disco. There were things I enjoyed about this unconventional film, but it ultimately felt like there were too many flaws and it buckles under the weight of them. I thought the film was decent, but ultimately a little disappointing.

Whit Stillman isn't someone I am familiar with- this is the first film he's directed that I have seen. He certainly seems to have a unique and style based on his work here, which I did appreciate. He takes his time to explore these flawed characters, but he gives them plenty of breathing space to wax poetic about a range of life and societal issues. There were moments I really appreciated that focus, but this film is eventually a bit too talky. It was humorous to hear some of the dialogue uttered by these fairly young characters. At times I believed it and at times, it pushed my credulity a bit too far. Some of the topics discussed felt insightful and a fascinating view of people's worldviews during this time period. Some of the discussions felt pretentious and ultimately pointless. This is a critical aspect of the film. If the conversations these characters have resonate with you, I'd imagine you could love the movie. If (like me), they were hit-or-miss, you'd likely take a less glowing view of the film.

I thought the portrayal of these characters was somewhat surprising. I can't say I really liked any of the characters. They're all deeply flawed and often self-centered. That was obviously on purpose, and Stillman does a good enough job writing them so that you never actually hate or despise them. There's enough light and humanity in them that you can't disconnect fully, even when they do bad things. I felt somewhat troubled by the cast. There were moments when some of them shined, but I have to say as a whole, I felt underwhelmed by their performances. Some of this is Stillman's dialogue in their mouths- they weren't talented enough actors to bring his dialogue to life. The words often felt forced, rehearsed, and rarely authentic.

I'm not a fan of Chloe Sevigny. She's always felt like a completely forgettable actress to me. I will admit that this is one of her better, more memorable performances. And yet, I wouldn't call this a great performance. She's fine and she has moments where she conveys emotion well, but there were even more where she felt bland and generic. Kate Beckinsale felt in over her head. I never believed her performance. She again has moments, but mostly it felt like she was struggling to keep up with the rest of the cast. Her best moments are the ones where she's not talking, which is a pretty hard thing to say about someone's performance. In the supporting cast, Chris Eigeman probably gives the best performance. It felt like he really poured a lot into this role- his effort shows. The problem is that even with perhaps the best possible performance he could have given, this role needed someone with more talent. I don't fault Eigeman for his effort, but he's not good enough of an actor to make this role work. You could say the same thing for the rest of the supporting players- they're too forgettable, too average for this movie. It felt like Stillman got as much out of them as was possible, but they're too C-list. I can't say I really enjoyed anyone in the supporting cast. They were fine, but there were no breakthrough performances.

The plot felt unnecessarily complicated. In some ways, it's simple and straightforward- you have a group of people who interact and talk a lot. There's all these different relationship dynamics, plus the subplots about the disco and the shady business practices happening. None of those scenes felt compelling enough for me to really care. I followed the plot, but it felt like too much work for what I was seeing on screen. It's not a big ask to throw a number of things at the audience, but it has to be worth the extra effort. It didn't quite feel like it was.

I appreciate that Stillman did something unconventional and different with The Last Days of Disco. It felt like his voice as a writer and director was unique compared to everything else coming out of Hollywood in the late 1990s. And yet, despite the unique voice, this movie doesn't quite gel in a way that is compelling, entertaining, and effective. It's a decent effort, but it's not a movie I have any desire to revisit. It's simply not as good as Stillman needed it to be.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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