There are two types of confusing movies. On one hand are those films that do confuse you while keeping you entertained so that even if you don’t “get it,” the viewing experience feels fruitful. Some examples that come to mind are Donnie Darko, Mulholland Drive, Memento, Predestination, Tenet, Coherence, and Nocturnal Animals. If you tell me to explain what was going on in these movies, I will probably fail miserably, but if you ask me if I am up for rewatching them again and again, I’ll say, “Hell yes.” That said, on the other hand, you have films that confuse you while forgetting to engage you in any meaningful way. I am talking about I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Under the Skin, Primer, Vanilla Sky, Lost Highway, and what I consider my arch-nemesis, Enemy. I’ve rewatched these films more than I have rewatched some of my favorite films just to understand what the hell they’re trying to say through their narrative, and I guess I despise them for being so perplexing. Is Last Party confusing in a good way or a bad way? Let’s find out.
Nicolas Dozol’s Last Party, written by Dozol, Leah Ladoux, Paul Tomasini, and Chloe Vittenet, begins its story from the perspective of Angela, a shy and reserved girl who is going to a party with three friends of hers. Initially, she rejects the advances of the guys and refuses to drink too much, but when she is pushed by an ominous figure, she begins to let go of her inhibitions. Then the focus shifts to one of the popular guys from school, Alexander. He rejects the advances of the girls around him and partakes in some naughty business with the host of the party, Romain. Then we follow Lily, who is a rich brat stuck amongst a group of “friends” who actually hate her because of her wealth. She suffers from some health condition and she desperately needs her medication, which she gets access to only after Ethan finds out that Lily’s bag was accidentally exchanged with Angela. Talking about Ethan, he finds himself disturbed by Angela’s weird behavior and burdened by the fame that comes with being a relatively famous musician. And as the night gets longer, it becomes evident that all these characters are inextricably connected to one another.
The official synopsis of Last Party states that the aforementioned characters confront their angst at their graduation party and feel like they’re not going to see the light of the next day. And, yes, that’s one way to describe the film. But what is the source of their angst, and why do they think that that party is the last night of their lives? If I have to guess, Angela regrets not “living it up” all this while, and now that she has finally decided to let loose, she feels like she is spiraling out of control. Ethan probably doesn’t like the fame he has achieved throughout his school years, and he hates the fact that he never got to confess his love to Angela. Lily has all the money in the world, but she doesn’t have anyone she can call her friend, and she fears that isn’t going to change all throughout her life. The writers don’t bother to go into what’s on Alexander’s mind. I mean, in an American or Indian setting where homosexuality in schools is still considered something that should be mocked, his apprehensions would’ve been understandable. However, this is set in France. So, what’s the big deal? I don’t know. Then, after all that, there’s the ending, which comes out of left field. Is it about old age? Is it about getting some kind of terminal disease? I have no idea, and maybe that in and of itself is intriguing.
Last Party is both a one-location film as well as a faux one shot film. How does it fare in both of these aspects? I think it’s fine. Despite having a fairly simple production design and set design, with the lighting and the cinematography, the house where the whole film takes place does feel claustrophobic with each passing minute. I think the paranoia and uncomfortable vibes of the film could’ve been heightened if there were more background actors in it. I can understand the budgetary limitations, but there are so many empty spaces all over the set that the pressure that the characters are feeling doesn’t seem all that palpable for the viewer. I mean, if everyone has room to breathe, why should the audience feel breathless while watching it? I get and applaud the use of the faux one shot. Dozol clearly wants to achieve the sense of delirium that comes with party nights like the one we see in the movie. However, a lot of the “invisible” cuts are very visible, and that kind of diminishes the effect of the audio-visual trickery. It’s an admirable attempt, and, in an era where everyone is trying to do a faux one take sequence, this is one of the cases where the gimmick feels essential to the plot instead of a distraction. Yet, I am saying it could’ve been done better.
The performances from the cast of Last Party are decent. Lucie Cecchi does a lot of the heavy lifting during the first act. The contrast between her introverted and extroverted sides is showcased so vividly by Cecchi. It’s tough to act like you’re drunk and high on cocaine for the first time in your life, but Cecchi makes it look like a walk in the park. I mean, she is so good that I wish she was the POV character throughout the film. That’s not to say that the rest of the central cast is bad or anything like that. Uma Condolo has amazing screen presence. She does a great job of helping the audience understand why she wears a suit of armor and how the practice of shielding herself has made her so lonely. Teddy Hardy conveys Ethan’s sense of frustration in a very relatable way. Remi Gerard gets to share a pretty romantic scene with Victorien Bonnet, and it’s pulled off in a very sensitive fashion, which is something that I can’t say for a lot of Y.A. films with explicit moments. They always tend to go overboard and forget the fact that they’re responsible for setting standards for teenagers while also portraying the reality they live in. As for the performances from the supporting cast, I think they’re all just fine.
In closing, I want to say that I am confused about whether or not Last Party is confusing in a good way or a bad way. But I do think that that’s the precise reaction that Nicolas Dozol wants to see. Yes, the confounding tone of his film is no accident; it’s by design. If you take a look at the posters hanging in Romain’s room, you’ll notice references to Mulholland Drive, Donnie Darko, and Mysterious Skin. And if you know anything about any of those films, you’ll probably have a better understanding of what Dozol is trying to convey through his characters and why the vibe of the film is so weird. At the cost of repeating myself, I don’t think a film should be labeled “bad” just because one didn’t understand it. Maybe the themes, characters, and messages that are alien to me will resonate deeply with someone else. That is the beauty of the subjective nature of cinema. So, by all means, feel free to give Last Party a try and let me know how it made you feel.
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