I was debating on watching “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World”, “Brave”, or “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” and felt that in the end, a good comedy was in order. I needed a pick me up and I thought a good laugh was just what the doctor ordered. The trailer for “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” (let’s just call it SAFRTEOTW or SFEW, because apparently the acronym is as long as the damned title), looked like it would give me some good laughs in that whole cynical, the world consists of crazies, sort of way. Well WARNING!!: This movie is NOT a comedy. SFEW is probably, more of a romantic “comedy”/date movie, than anything else, because there are scattered laughs, and mostly…love?
The movie starts off with Steve Carrell’s, Dodge and his wife listening to the announcement that the end of the world is coming in three weeks. It’s with that news, Dodge’s wife just high tails it out of there, while soft rock plays in the background. So the movie starts off with a good chuckle, and there are some good jokes throughout, that if you’re not paying attention, you might miss out on some of them.
The movie moves forward with some scenes that give off the state of the world in these final days, with people reacting insane or nonchalant, and that’s what I really like about the movie. It gives us a little bit of everything, and not labeling every person as a whack job.
It’s at this point, we find ourselves meeting Keira Knightley’s character, Penny. She’s all over the place, and full of life and just does what she wants, and has more energy than I can shake a stick at and she is very reminiscent of someone I actually know. Then there’s Dodge…and it kind of freaked me out as I watched Dodge go about life while the world is going crazy. He is still trying to do what he thinks is right and simply seems like a genuinely nice guy, who is a bit timid, and you can tell, is just a good guy. He gives that polite smile, that non-offensive answer to that really offensive question, and…well…he kind of reminded me of me.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m nowhere NEAR as funny, or as charismatic, or as charming, or as likeable as Dodge, but I saw a bit of myself in that character and that just made the movie so much worse/better (for me). With awkward moments, uncomfortable apologies, and a beautiful woman by his side the entire time, I got more and more emotionally involved, and that cannot be good…for anyone. It was all in the things he would say and the things he would do that would trigger something in my mind and I’d think to myself, “Yeah, I can see myself saying that,” or, “Oh yeah, I’d probably end up doing that.” I think a lot of the “nice guys” will be watching this movie and seeing themselves in Dodge’s shoes.
Then there’s Penny, who’s love of life, incredible optimism and quirkiness just makes her loveable from the start. She’s the opposite of Dodge’s more reserved persona and you see it from the beginning. Keira Knightley is just very likeable as Penny, and you can’t help but fall in love with her brashness and more straight forward nature. They are an unlikely pairing, and they both know it, but you can see the chemistry change and evolve as their friendship blossoms. They are both so eager to help one another, to give each other something the other is missing, while other’s are simply thinking about themselves. It’s so great to see them rooting for one another as Penny tries to help Dodge find the love that got away and while he does all he can to get her back to the UK with her family.
Where the movie shines most are during scenes where little is said. Both Dodge and Penny’s faces give off stories of their own, as each moment of quiet reflection and adoration, you can really feel what they are feeling. The soft smile speaks volumes, and the tender gaze…*tear* look, I told you it was more of a date/romantic movie…and I highly recommend this to anyone, because it is just a good movie all around.
To say more would be to ruin what many critics have called a “predictable” plot, but I kept an open mind (or I am incredibly naive), and really didn’t know what to expect in some scenes. I was not ready to assume it was going to go one way or another. But be forewarned! You should keep some tissues handy, because you will shed a tear or two. If you didn’t then, well…uhh…wow, how can you not? It’s kind of a depressing, yet terribly romantic movie. Sure you know how SFEW ends right from the beginning, or better yet, from the title, but what happens will…*wipes tear* Damn movie… In the end you should watch this for the amazing performances of Steve Carrell and Keira Knightley who’s rapport and ability to connect with the audience is absolutely worth the price of admission. Even hours after the movie, all the things I experienced during the film are still resonating with me. 9 out of 10 asteroids.
