DVD : First Love, Last Rites

Rating: - Yes indeed, a thinking person's movie
It is hard to see past the frequent bouts of lovemaking that the two main characters engage in. And that may be why some viewers have a hard time with this film. Though the (...) scenes are central to the plot, that's not all this film is about. And I have to say, as far as (...) scenes go, these are well-filmed. They are realistic without being (....) Joe and Sissel are teenagers growing into adults. Their passion, through fits and starts, grows into love. Slowly, each learns about responsibility and failure. Some viewers may wonder about Sissel's strange behavior, just as Joe does. But I think she's bearing the brunt of her parents' recent break-up and her little brother's trouble with the broken family. All the while, Sissel's parents act frequently like children. I couldn't figure out why Joe, the boy from Brooklyn, was in Louisiana at all except that he was on "vacation." But who cares? I liked being able to think up my own various scenarios for his departure from New York to the South. The soundtrack was the best I've heard in a long time. I, like another reviewer, had some trouble with the dream sequences. But, they also gave me additional food for thought. I see very little meaningful symbolism used in films; this one's chock full of it. Enjoy.

---

Rating: - An amazing movie, for intelligent people only
This movie was based on a short story by Ian McEwan. I suggest reading the story then seeing the movie, or vice versa. Either way you will understand the movie a bit better. But, this is an intelligent person's movie. The average person does not think deep enough while watching movies to ever, ever understand this one. Most people go to the movies to be entertained, not to think. Which is a fine thing to do but to be entertained while watching this movie you HAVE to think. This movie is filled with so much wonderful symbolism if you don't find the symbols and think about what they might mean you will hate this movie. Which is why most of the reviews here are from people who hate the movie because they didn't/couldn't understand it. Giovanni Ribisi is endearing as always here and Natasha Wagner plays the role of the beautiful bitch with flair. Look for the symbolism of the rat in the wall, the boiling records, the pink jacket, the red dress, the messy room, and see what you can intrepret from them. Basically it is a story of how love starts out with beautiful passion and red hot flames, then cools down to a loving friendship. It shows how these 2 teenagers deal with the changing of their relationship. What do you do when you realize there is more to having a relationship than just sex? It is a bittersweet story about something that happens to all of us who have ever been in love. The soundtrack is out of this world also, brilliant music. Movie=must see, music=must have (but only if you are willing to THINK)

---

Rating: - unfairly criticized but not for everyone
although some find the langorous pace unbearable and the characters flaky this movie reminded me of a lazy teenage summer with an ex-girlfriend and i was just completely captivated by the mood and atmosphere of the film... this movie is just about teenage love and the wonderful laziness and freedom of summer... the dream sequences are a little much though... anyways i think this film is underrated...

---

Rating: - A wretched little film. Simply terrible.
One of the reasons I dearly love independent cinema is the fact that it often breaks the rules of Hollywood, which state that a film must include an all-star cast, car crashes, lots of special effects, and stunningly beautiful characters in order to make money. With budgets approaching pocket change, many indie directors are breaking new ground in visual style by sidestepping these laws. The downside? Some filmmakers are a bit too eager to disregard rules which *shouldn't* be ignored. "First Love, Last Rites," for instance, does away with the notion that a movie should contain a coherent narrative. It cheerfully tosses aside the thought that we should care about our characters. It laughs in the face of the idea that a movie should hold the audience's attention. In short, "First Love, Last Rites" is a film that goes nowhere, and is in absolutely no hurry to arrive.

The story, such as it is, revolves around Joey (Giovanni Ribisi) and Sissel (Natasha Wagner), a young couple living together in a run-down shack in the swamplands of Louisiana. What do they see in each other? I have no idea. Apart from the fact that neither of them are the least bit personable and always appear to be half- asleep, they seem to have absolutely nothing in common. Oh, I take that back: they both love sex. Approximately a third of the film's scenes feature the two of them boinking like rabbits.

I'd like to describe the film's ending, but it doesn't really have one. Sure, there's a moment when images are no longer appearing on your television, but the final scene is purely ambiguous. Pick any moment from the movie, and it would be just as sensible a place to end as the one chosen by the director. A great film can have an ambiguous ending: both "The Full Monty" and "Chasing Amy" leave things up in the air at their conclusion; as I left the theater after each, I found myself wondering what the characters would do next. Although "First Love, Last Rites" leaves a lot of unanswered questions when the credits begin to roll, I have not devoted one iota of thought to how they could be answered. I just don't care, unless it involves Joey and Sissel both getting a swift kick in the rear.

"First Love, Last Rites" is a tedious viewing experience, full of bizarre symbolism (the rat in the wall, for example), paper-thin characters, and scenes that make no sense whatsoever. I've seen home movies that had a better storyline. Though the images of the Louisiana bayou are occasionally lovely, most of the visuals depict the interior of the squalid, rodent-infested house inhabited by our two main characters. Only the music shines, capturing the flavor of the photography in every scene. Skip the film and check out the soundtrack instead. I wish I had.

---

Rating: - Excellent, entertaining, eclectic
Great film...you'll be compelled to rent it over and over, so why not buy it.