"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" REVIEW

Hey Everyone,
       Today I’m reviewing the 2012 Dramedy “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World”. I figured this would be an appropriate title to review as we near the dreaded end of the Mayan calendar OOOooooo! LOL!

OVERVIEW

GENRE: Comedy, Drama, Sci-fi

RATED: R

STARRING: Steve Carell (The Office, Crazy Stupid Love) and Keira Knightly (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Jacket)

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Lorene Scafaria (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist)

SUMMARY:

      As the inevitable end of mankind on Earth approaches via an asteroid, a man (Carell) is left alone after his wife leaves him upon hearing the news of Earths destruction. He then decides to search for his first true love before it’s to late, but his plan runs awry after he befriends a neighbor (Knightly) who has plans of her own.

STORYLINE

       Given that I am not the worlds biggest fan of romantic comedies I wasn’t particularly excited about this film. However, the story for this film is fantastic! Its rich with examples of human nature, be that positive or negative, that tie in perfectly to the story being that everyone is about to die. The plot isn’t overly complicated, and as in most romantic comedies somewhat predictable, but in this movie's case I’ll emphasize SOMEWHAT! The story does a great job at bringing to light some of our innermost fears and also our deepest desires.
Rating: 4 (of 5)-GOOD

SOUNDTRACK AND VISUALS

        The soundtrack is relatively somber which is appropriate for the nature of the film. There is a mixture of musical genres ranging from alternative rock to classic jazz. Overall, I thought the music was well suited for the film. The visual style of the film I very much enjoyed. It was done with a very intimate style of shooting and pacing. Even amidst riots and chaos you never stray far from the main characters which keeps you very connected to them. Focusing more on the chaos of “doomsday” would have made the movie much less enjoyable, but this film shies away from that and keeps you focused on the characters.
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)-GOOD

ACTING/DIRECTING

          I really enjoyed the actors and actresses portrayals of their characters and not just the stars either. The supporting cast did a great job as well. There are a lot of great cameos by other well known actors and actresses throughout the film. Steve Carell’s role is a far cry from many of the roles he plays such as the loud, obnoxious, dim-witted Michael Scott on NBC’s The Office. He is much more quite and shy in this film and he pulls it off very convincingly. Keira Knightly plays a somewhat confused and somewhat stressed girl in her twenty-somethings who is relatively home sick. The role was well suited for her and she does a fantastic job. As I mentioned in the previous section the shots and pacing of the movie I felt were done very well. Kudos to Lorene Scafaria for a job well done!
Rating: 4.5 (of 5)-AMAZING

THE HYPE FACTOR

      There wasn’t much hype surrounding this movie but I will definitely say it far exceeded my expectations!
Rating:4 (of 5)-GOOD

OVERALL

4 (0F 5)-GOOD

       I hope you found this review helpful. Please feel free to comment and or offer suggestions for future reviews. If you are interested in seeing this film for yourself on DVD or Blu-Ray click on the links below.

“Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” on DVD or Blu-Ray