The Film Review

The last message is yet another short film I have had the pleasure of watching. This film to you all may seem like a take on the movie American psycho and understandably it does have some significant similarities. However the film is a superb piece which will give you the real essence of the breakdown of man after a break up.

The initial phone messages that are left on Melissa’s (Katrina Allison) answering machine are left by Alex (Adam Marsh) the deranged boyfriend. These are played over the titles and make you unaware of what is going on in the film. But as the messages progress you begin to see what is actually happening. The opening film sequence begins a little slow however the use of props during the time lapse makes you really believe in the movie. This opening sequence will already make you question whether or not what you are living is reality. As the scenes progress the phone messages begin to unravel the psyche of the disturbed person known as Alex.

The camera then shows Alex writing love letters to Melissa. How much more desperate can you get? The growing frustration is shown by Alex as he scrunches up his message and throws it away like a half eaten apple. He then appears standing in front of a door waiting to post this message. The phone messages that were playing over in the background finally finish here. The phone messages do become very abusive and show just how aggressive and potentially dangerous this guy is. It ends on the message “You know i was joking right? You know i wouldn’t be that angry at you. Just call me back when you can.” How much more disturbed can you get? I’m not sure whether this film is exaggerating the reality of how men act or it is just showing how oblivious we are to this. Maybe this is just an exceptionally powerful message. We shall see.

The meeting with Melissa’s friends Leanne (Lorna Bradford) and Sarah (Marie Mortimer) makes you question, “Could this person actually be real?”. Believe me the answer may just shock you. The car scene just shows that if you’re male, that stalking is a BAD idea. The girls both abrupt and to the point leave Alex standing in shame. Do you feel sorry for him? I suppose this could be a debateable point. The park scene is beautifully set, it really shows how desperate he is to talk to this girl. After a long winded wait Alex finally gets the nerve to call her and, yet again, leave another phone message. Ironic huh? The Pub scene seemed slightly deserted, but then again who’s in the pub in the afternoon? People who stay inside perhaps? Alex has quite a heated discussion with his friend Tom (Harry Bradford) here. No matter how much Tom tries to shake Alex down you can see that he is totally set on this girl. The final scene is extremely suspenseful. It begins by showing “Melissa” writing a message to Alex. Just as you think he has got his way you then get hit with reality again. The camera reveals the message is actually being written by Alex. American psycho twist maybe? The camera slowly pans and reveals Melissa dead on the floor. Where’s the blood or mess? Well i suppose if you want to reach a larger audience you have got to restrict some parts.

The camera work in this film really works and makes you feel moved. The dialogue in this film is very cleverly pieced together to make you see the mindset of Alex. It slowly builds over time however you may feel a slight connection between you and Alex. This film really does send a Message across and i believe it will be a big hit. My rating: