Last Looks (2022) S: Charlie Hunnam, Morena Baccarin, Mel Gibson
02-04-22 | 02:48 PM
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Last Looks (2022) S: Charlie Hunnam, Morena Baccarin, Mel Gibson
In Theaters, On Demand and Digital February 4
Starring Charlie Hunnam, Morena Baccarin, Mel Gibson
Directed by Tim Kirkby
Written by Howard Michael Gould
Charlie Waldo (Charlie Hunnam) is an ex-LAPD superstar who left the force and now lives a life of simplicity and solitude deep in the woods. Alastair Pinch (Mel Gibson) is an eccentric actor who spends his days drunk on the set of his TV show. When Pinch’s wife is found dead, he is the prime suspect and Waldo is convinced to come out of retirement to investigate what happened. The case finds Waldo contending with gangsters, Hollywood executives and pre-school teachers, all in pursuit of clearing Pinch’s name … or confirming his guilt.
Starring Charlie Hunnam, Morena Baccarin, Mel Gibson
Directed by Tim Kirkby
Written by Howard Michael Gould
Charlie Waldo (Charlie Hunnam) is an ex-LAPD superstar who left the force and now lives a life of simplicity and solitude deep in the woods. Alastair Pinch (Mel Gibson) is an eccentric actor who spends his days drunk on the set of his TV show. When Pinch’s wife is found dead, he is the prime suspect and Waldo is convinced to come out of retirement to investigate what happened. The case finds Waldo contending with gangsters, Hollywood executives and pre-school teachers, all in pursuit of clearing Pinch’s name … or confirming his guilt.
02-04-22 | 06:15 PM
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Re: Last Looks (2022) S: Charlie Hunnam, Morena Baccarin, Mel Gibson
Not horrible reviews.
02-06-22 | 02:56 PM
#3
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Re: Last Looks (2022) S: Charlie Hunnam, Morena Baccarin, Mel Gibson
Charlie Hunnam seems to be one of those actors who's really good in specific roles. I thought he was really solid as Ray, the man who gets everything done for Matthew McConaughey's character in The Gentlemen. In Last Looks, he's an ex-LAPD cop who put down stakes out in the sticks, trying to live a stripped down life and put his policing days behind him.
Hunnam's laid back approach to acting works for the most part because his character (Charlie Waldo) is on the receiving end of beatings for the most part, which is what you would expect from someone wants nothing more than to live a simple life and has a chicken for his only friend. He shows emotion a few times but Hunnam's portrayal of Waldo doesn't give the character a whole lot lift to make him a compelling protagonist.
The lack of zing affects the film overall. Last Looks seems to want to occupy the same space as The Nice Guys but doesn't have the spark of that film. On paper, it has very similar components: a P.I. with questionable credentials, the film industry as a backdrop, and a murdered woman who kicks off the events of the story. Last Looks, however, shows that these elements need to be tied together with some flair and director Tim Kirkby (who gave us Johnny Knoxville's Action Point a few years back) doesn't seem to have it. The movie is competently put together and entirely watchable but it doesn't do anything terribly distinctive.
Mel Gibson, incidentally, puts in a decent performance as Alistair Pinch, a TV star suspected of murdering his wife. Gibson shows up for the role, playing the actor as a thespian, a man who'll recite Shakespeare every chance he gets but very grudgingly takes TV work to maintain his lavish lifestyle. Bizarrely, he puts on an accent that sounds like an American trying to sound British without much proper coaching. Hunnam must've been too laid back to take him aside to give him pointers.
Meanwhile, Morena Baccarin re-does her Deadpool 2 turn as the love interest/plot device to get the main character off the bench. She somehow manages to get second billing despite having about 15 minutes of screen time. A lot of the recognizable names in the cast, like Clancy Brown, Robin Givens, and Dominic Monaghan, are similarly used sparingly. A couple of cast members even have unceremonial off-screen exits.
The mystery is pretty well constructed and the movie plays fair, giving you all the puzzle pieces along the way. Veterans of this genre, however, might figure out the solution well before it's revealed.
Hunnam's laid back approach to acting works for the most part because his character (Charlie Waldo) is on the receiving end of beatings for the most part, which is what you would expect from someone wants nothing more than to live a simple life and has a chicken for his only friend. He shows emotion a few times but Hunnam's portrayal of Waldo doesn't give the character a whole lot lift to make him a compelling protagonist.
The lack of zing affects the film overall. Last Looks seems to want to occupy the same space as The Nice Guys but doesn't have the spark of that film. On paper, it has very similar components: a P.I. with questionable credentials, the film industry as a backdrop, and a murdered woman who kicks off the events of the story. Last Looks, however, shows that these elements need to be tied together with some flair and director Tim Kirkby (who gave us Johnny Knoxville's Action Point a few years back) doesn't seem to have it. The movie is competently put together and entirely watchable but it doesn't do anything terribly distinctive.
Mel Gibson, incidentally, puts in a decent performance as Alistair Pinch, a TV star suspected of murdering his wife. Gibson shows up for the role, playing the actor as a thespian, a man who'll recite Shakespeare every chance he gets but very grudgingly takes TV work to maintain his lavish lifestyle. Bizarrely, he puts on an accent that sounds like an American trying to sound British without much proper coaching. Hunnam must've been too laid back to take him aside to give him pointers.
Meanwhile, Morena Baccarin re-does her Deadpool 2 turn as the love interest/plot device to get the main character off the bench. She somehow manages to get second billing despite having about 15 minutes of screen time. A lot of the recognizable names in the cast, like Clancy Brown, Robin Givens, and Dominic Monaghan, are similarly used sparingly. A couple of cast members even have unceremonial off-screen exits.
The mystery is pretty well constructed and the movie plays fair, giving you all the puzzle pieces along the way. Veterans of this genre, however, might figure out the solution well before it's revealed.
02-24-22 | 05:40 PM
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Re: Last Looks (2022) S: Charlie Hunnam, Morena Baccarin, Mel Gibson
This was pretty good. Nothing completely original, but nice little mystery. I like Mel, but not playing a foreign character with that accent and facial hair. But, I got passed. Not sure why I thought Hunnam could fight. He got the shit kicked out of him constantly. I felt anyone could kick his ass. I thought he was a detective. He should know how to fight. But had me guessing and in one sitting which is always good.
03-06-22 | 11:50 AM
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Re: Last Looks (2022) S: Charlie Hunnam, Morena Baccarin, Mel Gibson
I enjoyed this for what it was. It was definitely trying to live up to The Nice Guys or Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang standards and while it couldn’t quite reach those levels it was still fun to watch overall.
Charlie Hunnam is just fine as the main character, the rusty PI who gets his ass kicked by all the eccentric side characters throughout the movie and although Mel Gibson’s accent doesn’t quite work, it’s nice to see him take a comedy turn again. It seems like it’s been so long since he’s played anybody other than a cynical, brutish dick in a movie. The rest of the supporting cast is fine even though most don’t have nearly the screen time they deserve.
This is the type of movie that would have fit perfectly in Shane Black’s directorial filmography. There was even a brief Christmas sequence that felt like a small homage to him. I’m not sure how long this script was sitting on the shelf but I caught a few outdated references throughout the movie that made me think this was a script from the early 2000s that finally got made.
Overall, it doesn’t quite live up to the high expectations it sets for itself but as a fun way to spend an evening, I’d recommend it.
Charlie Hunnam is just fine as the main character, the rusty PI who gets his ass kicked by all the eccentric side characters throughout the movie and although Mel Gibson’s accent doesn’t quite work, it’s nice to see him take a comedy turn again. It seems like it’s been so long since he’s played anybody other than a cynical, brutish dick in a movie. The rest of the supporting cast is fine even though most don’t have nearly the screen time they deserve.
This is the type of movie that would have fit perfectly in Shane Black’s directorial filmography. There was even a brief Christmas sequence that felt like a small homage to him. I’m not sure how long this script was sitting on the shelf but I caught a few outdated references throughout the movie that made me think this was a script from the early 2000s that finally got made.
Overall, it doesn’t quite live up to the high expectations it sets for itself but as a fun way to spend an evening, I’d recommend it.
