Last Days

Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Micheal Pitt, Asia Argento, Lukas Hass, Scott Green, Nicole Vicius, Ryan Orion, Ricky Jay
Rating: R (18)
Company: HBO Films, Meno FILM Company, Picturehouse Entertainment, Pie Films Inc.
Duration: 97 Minutes

WRITTEN BY THE FILM LIEUTENANT

Music is the prime monster in creating some of culture’s most iconic figures. They live the fast-paced lifestyle, reaching highs, lows and creative peaks that make them seem almost superhuman… ‘Last Days’ is an intimate portrait of  a so-called famous rock star simply named ‘Blake’. There is almost zero dialogue in the piece, especially from our protagonist, so the audience has to assume a lot of things. Nothing is explained. The audience has to use their brains to make assumptions and decipher the small clues given away. This is very typical layout for many Gus Van Sant films, which causes a huge divide between critics for being too vague. It becomes clear after a while though that this ‘Blake’ person seems awfully familiar to that of a certain grunge singer who was a part of bring forward the whole Generation X revolution among the youth. But those looking for anything remotely Nirvana related such as live footage, band recordings or anything of that kind will be very disappointed. In fact, some scenes may confuse and could well offend those particular fans as the band are portrayed in parts as selfish, ignorant or even questionably bisexual.

The film moves slowly and requires plenty of patience. The storyline is set practically in one place the whole time, following and observing Blake. We see very little of the outside world. We see or hear about other things beyond this bubble but never are we introduced to them, leaving the viewer wondering. Michael Pitt is fantastic as Blake. He broke my heart in his convincing portrayal of the rock star gone a little loopy. The haunting song “From Death to Birth”, which Michael wrote and played himself, is the most he basically says in the film, and it is all he really needs to say.  Some people may be angry at this portrayal of the idolised Kurt Cobain… but what they don’t realise is that this isn’t Kurt or it isn’t suppose to be… it is someone different… it’s all just a fictional tribute. I must say though, it is the best insight into what could have happened during that time in Kurt’s tragic universe.

Blake, as a character, is layered well to the point that we can literally see a man go through a serious mental breakdown. Blake stumbles through life mixing mumbling indifference with haunting eyes and actions. It is almost memorizing and tragic.  Everything about the film, right down to the promotional posters says that it is bleak, depressing and artistic… and it is. As a piece of dark cinema, it works… as a piece of art, it does so too.

You do know you're wearing a dress... right?

The film, though not having much sound overall, often frames the scene with outside noise… whether it be with constant trickling water, a grandfather clock or a scooter driving past. There is always a noise to notice. Gus Van Sant has always been a fan of Andy Warhol. It is obvious from his slow static style and his avant-garde use of sound effects… heck, the choice of using “Venus In Furs” by Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground makes this statement even more obvious. But this manner fits very well in the stoner/dreamer way most of the scenes are played out. What makes it quite interesting is Gus’s obvious love for the subject matter. I say subject matter because, although it is an art house film, it does feel somewhat like an observational fly on the wall documentary, again in similar vain to that of Andy Warhol’s reflective film projects like ‘Chelsea Girls’. Some may find the re-visitation of several scenes annoying, seeing as a lack of plot or padding… But I love it.  In fact, more and more is revealed each time we visit it, letting you inside a little bit with yet another angle or clue. The film may have been shot on film, and in the tradition of other avant-grade filmmakers has definitely been treated… I’m sure of it. A fine example is that… the grass is too bright… and this just makes everything inside of Blake’s house seem grayer and dull.

‘Last Days’ is NOT the fast paced Kurt Cobain media-based rockumentary you might expect… It is solely an intimate portrait. It is simply a film that fills in the could-haves  and what-ifs without feeling like invading. It is brilliantly shot in a wonderful Andy Warhol style with some scenes making the film beautifully haunting. An example would be Blake’s Jam session filmed entirely from outside the house. Yes, it is loosely based on Kurt Cobain… but it is not about Kurt necessarily… it is about Blake. And admittedly, there isn’t a lot really going on plot wise that isn’t obvious with only very slight subtlety. But overall I thoroughly recommend anyone see this film to anyone who appreciates music, whether even  remotely interested in Nirvana. It is slow and bleak… but it is also surprisingly moving and very beautiful.

RATING: 4/5