''Last Night'' is a 2010
romantic drama
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...
film that was written and directed by
Massy Tadjedin
Massy Tadjedin (born 1978) is an Iranian-American screenwriter and director.
Biography
Tadjedin was born in Tehran and grew up in Orange County, California, and studied English literature at Harvard University.
Her movie credits include '' Leo'' ...
, her directorial debut. The film follows married couple Joanna Reed (
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for ...
) and Michael Reed (
Sam Worthington
Samuel Henry John Worthington (born 2 August 1976) is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing Jake Sully in ''Avatar'' and its sequel, ''Avatar: The Way of Water''; Marcus Wright in ''Terminator Salvation'', and Perseus in '' Clash o ...
), who are tempted by different forms of infidelity when they spend a night apart following a fight. Joanna is emotionally drawn to her ex-boyfriend Alex Mann (
Guillaume Canet
Guillaume Canet (; born 10 April 1973) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter, and show jumper.
Canet began his career in theatre and television before moving to film. He starred in several films like ''Joyeux Noël'', '' Love Me If ...
) while Michael is physically attracted to his co-worker Laura Nunez (
Eva Mendes
Eva de la Caridad Méndez (, ; born March 5, 1974), known professionally as Eva Mendes, is an American actress, model and fashion designer. Her acting career began in the late 1990s, with a series of roles in films such as '' Children of the Cor ...
). The cast includes
Griffin Dunne
Thomas Griffin Dunne (; born June 8, 1955) is an American actor, film producer, and film director. Dunne studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He is known for portraying Jack Goodman in '' An Amer ...
,
Daniel Eric Gold
Daniel Eric Gold (born September 19, 1975 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor. He attended Lee Strasberg's Theater Institute as a teenager, and went on to graduate from Penn State in 1996, with a degree in Theater Arts.
Career
...
,
Anson Mount
Anson Adams Mount IV (born February 25, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cullen Bohannon in the AMC western drama series ''Hell on Wheels'', as Jim Steele on the NBC series ''Conviction'' (2006), as the Marvel Co ...
,
Stephanie Romanov
Stephanie A. Romanov (born January 24, 1969) is an American model and actress, best known for playing Lilah Morgan on ''Angel (1999 TV series), Angel''.
Life and career
Romanov was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. She first began modeling in Europe a ...
,
Scott Adsit
Robert Scott Adsit (born November 26, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Adsit joined the mainstage cast of Chicago's The Second City in 1994 after attending Columbia College Chicago. He app ...
,
Justine Cotsonas
Justine Cotsonas (born May 31, 1985) is an American actress. She was born in Mineola, New York.
Cotsonas attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned a BFA degree in January 2007. She joined the cast of ''As the Worl ...
, and
Chriselle Almeida
Chriselle Almeida is an Indian actress.
Education
Almeida received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Connecticut-Storrs and received a full scholarship towards her Master of Fine Arts in Acting from University of Cali ...
. ''Last Night'' was produced by
Entertainment One
Entertainment One Ltd., trading as eOne, is an American-owned Canadian multinational entertainment company. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition, distribution, and production of films and television se ...
in association with the
Gaumont Film Company
The Gaumont Film Company (, ), often shortened to Gaumont, is a French film studio headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Founded by the engineer-turned-inventor Léon Gaumont (1864–1946) in 1895, it is the oldest extant film company in ...
, and deals with questions about emotional and physical infidelity.
The film was developed as a romance and suspense story before Tadjedin recognized its moral significance. After persuading Knightley to break a year-long acting hiatus to participate in the film, Tadjedin cast the other roles with consideration for the actors' chemistry. Mendes originally turned down the role of Laura but agreed to appear in the film after a conversation with Tadjedin. The soundtrack was composed by
Clint Mansell
Clinton Darryl Mansell (; born 7 January 1963) is an English musician, singer, and composer, born in Coventry. He served as the lead singer and multi-instrumentalist of alt-rock band Pop Will Eat Itself before embarking on a career as a film s ...
, who received a
World Soundtrack Award for Soundtrack Composer of the Year
The World Soundtrack Award for Soundtrack Composer of the Year (a.k.a. "Film Composer of the Year") is one of the three main prizes given by the World Soundtrack Academy to honour the best movie soundtracks and the people who work on them.
Winners ...
for his work.
Miramax Films
Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey Weinstein, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California.
It was ...
initially bought ''Last Night'' for a March 19, 2010 release, but it was delayed by the company's sale to Filmyard Holdings. The film was shown at the
2010 Toronto International Film Festival
The 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival, (TIFF) was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 9 and September 19, 2010. The opening night gala presented '' Score: A Hockey Musical'', a Canadian comedy-drama musical film. '' La ...
and the 2010
Rome Film Festival
International Rome Film Fest is a film festival that takes place in Rome during the month of October. The name in Italian is Festa del Cinema di Roma.
Sections
The Rome Film Festival official program is divided into several sections:
Cinema d'Og ...
. It premiered theatrically in France on February 16, 2011, and had a limited release in the United States on May 6, 2011. It was released through
video on demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
. Critics were divided over the film's plot and its commentary on infidelity; the performances from Knightley, Canet, and Mendes received praise while Worthington and the scenes between Michael and Laura were the subject of criticism. ''Last Night'' grossed
$7.7 million primarily from foreign markets.
Plot
Joanna, a writer, and Michael Reed, a commercial real estate agent, are a married couple who share an apartment in New York City. During a party with Michael's colleagues, Joanna notices him spending time with Laura Nunez, an attractive co-worker, and wonders why he has not previously mentioned her. Joanna suspects Michael is having an affair and confronts him about it when they return home. They have an argument but reconcile later that night. The following day, Michael leaves on a business trip to Philadelphia with his associates Laura and Andy; Joanna stays behind to work on a novel. Joanna meets her ex-boyfriend Alex Mann; they go to a bar later that day, have a dinner with two of Alex's friends, Sandra and Truman, and they discuss their past relationship and Joanna's marriage to Michael; she has never told Michael about Alex.
Joanna and Alex return to Andy's apartment, where they talk about their previous romance, having got back together after Michael briefly broke off his relationship with Joanna. She goes out to walk Andy's dog; he accidentally locks them outside. They go to a party with Sandra, Truman, and the dog. Joanna and Alex grow closer over the course of the night, and they eventually kiss. After the party, they return to Alex's hotel room. Joanna refuses to have sex with Alex and they instead spend the night embracing each other in bed. The next day, Joanna and Alex kiss before he leaves New York broken-hearted.
Scenes depicting Joanna's night with Alex are interspersed with scenes showing Michael and Laura. After having dinner with a client, Laura invites Michael out for drinks at the hotel bar. They kiss but then Michael tells her he has never cheated on his wife. They go to the hotel pool, where they strip to their underwear and swim together. Laura asks Michael if he has ever been cheated on, and he says no. Laura replies that she was once cheated on by her partner, and she was angry for a month, but then reconciled. Her partner later died. She claims that had he not died, she would most likely still be there with Michael. They return to Laura's room and have sex. In the morning, Michael discovers a note from Joanna in which she apologizes for their fight and says she trusts him. Feeling guilty, Michael leaves Philadelphia early. Laura and Andy give their presentation to their clients without him.
Upon returning to their apartment, Michael finds Joanna crying. They make plans for the day in an attempt to resume their normal lives. They embrace and he says that he loves her. Joanna is puzzled by Michael's sudden show of affection and early return from work. Michael notices that Joanna left out a pair of expensive shoes from the night before and that she is wearing her sexiest underwear. The film ends as Joanna prepares to speak.
Cast
The cast includes:
*
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for ...
as Joanna Reed
*
Sam Worthington
Samuel Henry John Worthington (born 2 August 1976) is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing Jake Sully in ''Avatar'' and its sequel, ''Avatar: The Way of Water''; Marcus Wright in ''Terminator Salvation'', and Perseus in '' Clash o ...
as Michael Reed
*
Eva Mendes
Eva de la Caridad Méndez (, ; born March 5, 1974), known professionally as Eva Mendes, is an American actress, model and fashion designer. Her acting career began in the late 1990s, with a series of roles in films such as '' Children of the Cor ...
as Laura Nunez
*
Guillaume Canet
Guillaume Canet (; born 10 April 1973) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter, and show jumper.
Canet began his career in theatre and television before moving to film. He starred in several films like ''Joyeux Noël'', '' Love Me If ...
as Alex Mann
*
Daniel Eric Gold
Daniel Eric Gold (born September 19, 1975 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor. He attended Lee Strasberg's Theater Institute as a teenager, and went on to graduate from Penn State in 1996, with a degree in Theater Arts.
Career
...
as Andy
*
Anson Mount
Anson Adams Mount IV (born February 25, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cullen Bohannon in the AMC western drama series ''Hell on Wheels'', as Jim Steele on the NBC series ''Conviction'' (2006), as the Marvel Co ...
as Neal
*
Griffin Dunne
Thomas Griffin Dunne (; born June 8, 1955) is an American actor, film producer, and film director. Dunne studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He is known for portraying Jack Goodman in '' An Amer ...
as Truman
*
Stephanie Romanov
Stephanie A. Romanov (born January 24, 1969) is an American model and actress, best known for playing Lilah Morgan on ''Angel (1999 TV series), Angel''.
Life and career
Romanov was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. She first began modeling in Europe a ...
as Sandra
*
Scott Adsit
Robert Scott Adsit (born November 26, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Adsit joined the mainstage cast of Chicago's The Second City in 1994 after attending Columbia College Chicago. He app ...
as Stuart
*
Justine Cotsonas
Justine Cotsonas (born May 31, 1985) is an American actress. She was born in Mineola, New York.
Cotsonas attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned a BFA degree in January 2007. She joined the cast of ''As the Worl ...
as Maggie
* Rae Ritke as Barbara
*
Chriselle Almeida
Chriselle Almeida is an Indian actress.
Education
Almeida received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Connecticut-Storrs and received a full scholarship towards her Master of Fine Arts in Acting from University of Cali ...
as Chris
Production
Development
Massy Tadjedin
Massy Tadjedin (born 1978) is an Iranian-American screenwriter and director.
Biography
Tadjedin was born in Tehran and grew up in Orange County, California, and studied English literature at Harvard University.
Her movie credits include '' Leo'' ...
wrote and filmed ''Last Night'', which was her directorial debut after writing the screenplays for the films ''Leo'' (2002) and ''
The Jacket
''The Jacket'' is a 2005 American science-fiction psychological thriller film directed by John Maybury and starring Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson and Jennifer Jason Leigh. It is partly based on the 1915 Jack London novel '' T ...
'' (2005).
She completed the script roughly four and a half years prior to its release;
she developed the scenes out of sequence and wrote them with
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processing software developed by Microsoft. It was first released on October 25, 1983, under the name ''Multi-Tool Word'' for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms includin ...
.
Tadjedin said she struggled with writing characters that "would come across as real people, that their struggle was believable".
After a negative response from a
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
studio executive on the script's formatting, she realized
Final Draft was the preferred software for screenwriters.
In early drafts, the story was set between Los Angeles and New Mexico;
the setting was later changed to New York City, which Tadjedin described as a "place where the diverse characters could come together".
[ ] She clarified that the location change did not affect the plot. because she wanted to portray the characters' relationships in a more universal context rather than tied to a specific city.
Requesting seven million
dollars
Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, Un ...
for production, she had difficulty with financing the film,
and rejected a potential source for not understanding her "artistic vision".
The ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' partially attributed the difficulty in selling ''Last Night'' to a film studio to it being an adult drama, which it described as "endangered in Hollywood".
Tadjedin pictured ''Last Night'' as a
romance
Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to:
Common meanings
* Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings
* Romance languages, ...
or a
thriller at first, but realized its commentary on infidelity while assembling the cast and crew.
Monogamy was identified by some media outlets as a related topic explored in the movie.
Tadjedin likened ''Last Night'' to a
slice of life
Slice of life is a depiction of mundane experiences in art and entertainment. In theater, slice of life refers to naturalism, while in literary parlance it is a narrative technique in which a seemingly arbitrary sequence of events in a character ...
story, a genre that she enjoyed in her childhood,
while
Griffin Dunne
Thomas Griffin Dunne (; born June 8, 1955) is an American actor, film producer, and film director. Dunne studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He is known for portraying Jack Goodman in '' An Amer ...
identified it more as a "moral thriller" due to its focus on "a universal passage in a long-term relationship".
Critics compared the storyline and characters to those of a
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
film,
such as ''
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' calling it "a New York morality play" set in Allen's "emotional and physical terrain".
The ''
Ottawa Sun
The ''Ottawa Sun'' is a daily
newspaper in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is published by Sun Media. It began publication in 1983 as the ''Ottawa Sunday Herald'', until it was acquired by (then) Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation in 1988. In Apri ...
'' described the tone as being "vaguely European-feeling" and "cosmopolitan".
[ ]
Casting
![Eva mendes venice09](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Eva_mendes_venice09.jpg)
According to Tadjedin, the casting was "very chemistry dependent" to ensure each relationship felt authentic. She said the addition of
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for ...
had "anchored the casting process".
Knightley and Tadjedin had become friends following their collaboration on ''The Jacket''.
When asked if she had written Joanna for Knightley, Tadjedin said she imagined the character instead as a cross between
Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles.
Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...
and
Julie Christie
Julie Frances Christie (born 14 April 1940) is a British actress. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, Christie is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. S ...
.
''Last Night'' was Knightley's first project after a
mental breakdown
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
at the age of 22 and hiatus early in 2009;
Knightley said her return to acting had helped improve her mental health.
Tadjedin persuaded Knightley to be a part of ''Last Night'' while visiting her in
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés () is one of the four administrative quarters of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its official borders are the River Seine on the north ...
.
Knightley said that she was drawn to the film's commentary on physical versus emotional infidelity.
When asked about her approach to Joanna, she said that she relied on her imagination and empathy for the character, clarifying she was not a
method actress
Method acting, informally known as The Method, is a range of training and rehearsal techniques, as formulated by a number of different theatre practitioners, that seeks to encourage sincere and expressive performances through identifying with, u ...
.
During a 2018 interview with
Peter Travers
Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
, Knightley cited ''Last Night'' as one of four films that meant the most to her; she enjoyed it for the collaboration with the cast and crew and its more naturalistic style of acting.
Tadjedin approached the male leads based on their chemistry with Knightley.
''
'' After watching
Sam Worthington
Samuel Henry John Worthington (born 2 August 1976) is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing Jake Sully in ''Avatar'' and its sequel, ''Avatar: The Way of Water''; Marcus Wright in ''Terminator Salvation'', and Perseus in '' Clash o ...
in the 2004 film
''Somersault'', Tadjedin sent him the script for ''Last Night'', and met with him on-set for the 2009 film
''Avatar''. She hired the actor due to his "great sympathy for the character of Michael" and her impression that he would have a "a great married chemistry" with Knightley. Tadjedin approached
Guillaume Canet
Guillaume Canet (; born 10 April 1973) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter, and show jumper.
Canet began his career in theatre and television before moving to film. He starred in several films like ''Joyeux Noël'', '' Love Me If ...
about his role during a screening of his 2006 film ''
Tell No One
''Tell No One'' (french: Ne le dis à personne) is a 2006 French thriller film directed by Guillaume Canet and based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Harlan Coben. Written by Canet and Philippe Lefebvre and starring François Cluzet, the ...
.'' Some lines were cut between Knightley and Canet to focus on "their tension from looks".
Tadjedin said that she wanted to represent the characters' anxiety through movement rather than dialogue.
Eva Mendes
Eva de la Caridad Méndez (, ; born March 5, 1974), known professionally as Eva Mendes, is an American actress, model and fashion designer. Her acting career began in the late 1990s, with a series of roles in films such as '' Children of the Cor ...
was cast as Laura based on the warmth she brought to the character.
Reluctant to join the project, Mendes worried that Laura would "lack originality" and be "too seductive". She agreed to the part after meeting with Tadjedin, and said: "It was great to connect with a female director and talk about this woman and not objectify her as the other woman but give her a real true life and make her honest…. Thank God I did."
Tadjedin emphasized that Laura was not written as a "homewrecker" or a "temptress".
Filming and post-production
During production, ''Last Night'' was known as ''Tell Me''.
[ Hischak (2015): p. 442] The location for Michael and Joanna's
Tribeca
Tribeca (), originally written as TriBeCa, is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. Its name is a syllabic abbreviation of "Triangle Below Canal Street". The "triangle" (more accurately a quadrilateral) is bounded by Canal Stre ...
apartment was found after a three-week search.
Producers required a space with an elevator and enough room to accommodate a filming crew. Tadjedin wanted the apartment's furniture to represent the characters' personalities and the state of their relationship because the film does not depict their histories. She intended to portray Michael and Joanna as "a successful
working
Working may refer to:
* Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community
Arts and media
* Working (musical), ''Working'' (musical), a 1978 musical
* Working (TV series), ''Working'' (TV s ...
couple" rather than "a very rarefied couple in New York", though she settled for the larger set due to time constraints. In reference to the film's overall look, she wanted to represent everyday life in downtown New York.
Filming ended in the summer of 2009.
The actors used their natural accents for the characters, a decision Worthington had attributed to New York's identification as a
melting pot
The melting pot is a monocultural metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" with a common culture; an alternative being a homogeneous society becoming more heterogeneous throug ...
. He asked Tadjedin to remove a line referencing Michael and Joanna taking a flight home, saying, "Don't fuckin' have me explain why I'm from Australia".
Tadjedin explained that the international cast was not intentional, but said that "it felt really organic".
While the cast represented multiple nationalities, the crew was entirely American.
During production, the cast and crew discussed their views on infidelity and shared their personal experiences with each other.
The film was developed by
Entertainment One
Entertainment One Ltd., trading as eOne, is an American-owned Canadian multinational entertainment company. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition, distribution, and production of films and television se ...
in association with the
Gaumont Film Company
The Gaumont Film Company (, ), often shortened to Gaumont, is a French film studio headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Founded by the engineer-turned-inventor Léon Gaumont (1864–1946) in 1895, it is the oldest extant film company in ...
; its
final cut runs for 92 minutes.
The Gaumont Film Company financed ''Last Night'', helped to release it in France, and handled sales. Gaumont CEO
Christophe Riandee
Christophe Riandee (born February 5, 1968) is a French film producer and entrepreneur, best known for the productions of crime drama series '' Narcos'' and '' Hannibal''.
Riandee is the Vice CEO of French film company Gaumont. He lives in Paris ...
said the company acquired the movie to prove its "determination to go forward with high-end English-speaking productions".
Tadjedin produced the film with
Nick Wechsler Nick Wechsler may also refer to:
* Nick Wechsler (actor) (born 1978), American actor
* Nick Wechsler (film producer) (born 1949), American film producer
{{Hndis, Wechsler, Nick ...
and Sidonie Dumas.
Wechsler had previously attempted to put Tadjedin's other scripts into production.
Christophe Riandee
Christophe Riandee (born February 5, 1968) is a French film producer and entrepreneur, best known for the productions of crime drama series '' Narcos'' and '' Hannibal''.
Riandee is the Vice CEO of French film company Gaumont. He lives in Paris ...
and Buddy Enright were the
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
s, and Satsuki Mitchell was a co-producer.
Susan E. Morse edited the film and the
production design
In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wor ...
was handled by Tim Grimes.
Peter Deming
Peter Deming, (born December 13, 1957) is a Lebanese-born American cinematographer, known for his collaborations with directors like Sam Raimi, David Lynch, Wes Craven, and Jay Roach. He won the 2002 Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinemat ...
worked as the movie's
director of photography
The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...
,
and
Ann Roth
Ann Bishop Roth (born October 30, 1931) is an American costume designer. She has designed the costumes of various prominent films, and has been nominated five times for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, winning twice for; ''The English Pa ...
created the costumes.
Soundtrack
Clint Mansell
Clinton Darryl Mansell (; born 7 January 1963) is an English musician, singer, and composer, born in Coventry. He served as the lead singer and multi-instrumentalist of alt-rock band Pop Will Eat Itself before embarking on a career as a film s ...
composed the soundtrack for ''Last Night'',
and
Peter Broderick
Peter Broderick (born January 20, 1987) is an American musician and composer from Carlton, Oregon. He has released solo material under his own name, been a member of Efterklang, and played with several ensembles as a session musician.
Biography
B ...
wrote lyrics and provided vocals for certain parts.
Following a request from Tadjedin, Broderick re-recorded his song "Not At Home" with Mansell for the film's final scene.
''Uncut'' described the music as "a step outside
f Mansell'susual mixture of intense orchestral
post-rock
Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...
and intense moodiness"; according to Thomson the soundtrack is composed primarily of "melancholy piano pieces".
Mansell said he felt the piano had a "sort of hypnotic" sound on the tracks.
Milan Records
Milan Records is a record label located in Los Angeles, California specializing in film scores and soundtrack albums. In addition, Milan boasts an extensive electronic catalog which features down-tempo, chillout, and eclectic electronic releases ...
and
Warner Classics
Warner Classics is the classical music arm of Warner Music Group. The label began issuing new recordings under the Warner Classics banner in 1991. The company also includes the Erato Records, Teldec Records and NVC Arts labels. Based in France, W ...
released the soundtrack on an
audio CD
Compact Disc Digital Audio (CDDA or CD-DA), also known as Digital Audio Compact Disc or simply as Audio CD, is the standard format for audio compact discs. The standard is defined in the ''Red Book'', one of a series of Rainbow Books (named fo ...
and as a
digital download on March 27, 2012.
Critics praised to the soundtrack,
and Mansell was nominated for a
World Soundtrack Award for Soundtrack Composer of the Year
The World Soundtrack Award for Soundtrack Composer of the Year (a.k.a. "Film Composer of the Year") is one of the three main prizes given by the World Soundtrack Academy to honour the best movie soundtracks and the people who work on them.
Winners ...
.
The nomination was also for his music for the 2010 films
''Black Swan'' and
''Faster''.
''
HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' wrote Mansell created "a haunting score" that "lingers long after the film is over".
''Uncut'' praised the soundtrack as "a slight collection, but excellent for all that",
although
IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Hollyw ...
criticized it as "mostly played out in the forgettable background".
Release and box office
During the third week of its production,
Miramax Films
Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey Weinstein, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California.
It was ...
purchased ''Last Night'' for distribution.
Originally set for a March 19, 2010 release, it was postponed following the company's closure.
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, the parent company of Miramax Films, was initially "unwilling to do anything with the film for fear of stepping on the toes of Miramax's eventual buyer", but later allowed it to be shown at the
2010 Toronto International Film Festival
The 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival, (TIFF) was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 9 and September 19, 2010. The opening night gala presented '' Score: A Hockey Musical'', a Canadian comedy-drama musical film. '' La ...
,
where it premiered as the closing film.
Collider
A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators.
Colliders are used as a research tool in particle ...
considered it to be "one of the more under-reported films".
According to CinemaBlend.com, the film received a positive response from the festival's audience.
The film's distribution rights were acquired by
Tribeca Film
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. Tribeca was fo ...
.
''Last Night'' was shown as the opener for the 2010
Rome Film Festival
International Rome Film Fest is a film festival that takes place in Rome during the month of October. The name in Italian is Festa del Cinema di Roma.
Sections
The Rome Film Festival official program is divided into several sections:
Cinema d'Og ...
; the cast was unable to walk the
red carpet
A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.
History
The earliest known reference to ...
for the movie due to protests by the Centoautori movement.
The protest was held in response to Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; born 29 September 1936) is an Italian media tycoon and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy in four governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies ...
's decision to stop
tax exemption
Tax exemption is the reduction or removal of a liability to make a compulsory payment that would otherwise be imposed by a ruling power upon persons, property, income, or transactions. Tax-exempt status may provide complete relief from taxes, redu ...
s for film productions and reduce funds for cultural events.
As part of the festival, the film was one of sixteen nominated for the Golden Marc'Aurelio Award.
A preview of the movie was released online in March 2011.
''Last Night'' first premiered theatrically in France on February 16, 2011,
and was made available on
video on demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
on April 20, 2011.
The film had a limited release in ten US theaters on May 6, 2011,
where it received an R rating from the
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...
due to language and sexuality.
Prior to its theatrical premiere in 2011, Tadjedin and Deming received nominations for their directorial and cinematography work at the 2010
Camerimage
The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage () is a festival dedicated to the celebration of cinematography and recognition of its creators, cinematographers. The first seven events (1993–1999) were held in Toruń, ...
awards.
Grossing $29,505 on its opening weekend, ''Last Night'' went on to earn $7,743,923 worldwide; $98,986 in the US and $7,644,937 from foreign markets.
The film was removed from US theaters on June 2, 2011;
it was later released in other countries between 2011 and 2017 through different distributors.
It grossed the most ($2,386,504) in France and the least ($3,026) in New Zealand, following its premiere there on October 12, 2017.
''Last Night'' was released on home video and streaming services on August 1, 2011;
it was made available on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
and
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
.
The film was later packaged as part of the
Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
Echo Bridge Entertainment is an American independent distribution company. It acquires and distributes feature films, scripted and non-scripted series, documentaries, and children’s programming for home video, digital and television in the United ...
release ''Epic Romances'' with
''Anna Karenina'' (1948),
''As You Like It'' (1936),
''The Magic Sword'' (1962), and ''
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' is a 1946 American film noir drama directed by Lewis Milestone from a screenplay written by Robert Rossen (and an uncredited Robert Riskin), based on the short story "Love Lies Bleeding" by playwright John Pat ...
'' (1946).
Critical reception
Critics praised Tadjedin for not supporting or antagonizing Joanna or Michael.
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
History
Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
commended Tadjedin for not reducing the characters to "the monsters and angels normally created for cinematic takes on infidelity".
In an ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' review,
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman (born February 24, 1959) is an American film critic who has been chief film critic for ''Variety'' magazine since May 2016, a title he shares with . Previously, Gleiberman wrote for ''Entertainment Weekly'' from 1990 until 2014. ...
liked that the film examined infidelity beyond only sex.
While giving the film a positive review, ''
Hot Press
''Hot Press'' is a fortnightly music and politics magazine based in Dublin, Ireland, founded in June 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes.
History
''Hot Press'' was founded in June 1977 by Niall Stokes, who co ...
'' wrote that the effectiveness of its message was entirely "dependent on the viewer's own experiences".
Other reviewers criticized the lead characters as boring,
including some questioning why the plot was worth caring about.
''
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'' criticized it as a "mostly hollow experience" with a "distinct lack of flesh on the plot's bare bones".
''Last Night''s plot and characters were described as lacking the "appetite for lunatic adventure" of Woody Allen's works,
or the emotional stakes of the 2009 film
''I Am Love''.
Despite their negative reviews of the overall film, ''
The Japan Times
''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
History
''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...
'' and ''
Politico
''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...
'' praised its ending for its ambiguity;
''Politico'' described the final scene as an "unconventional and exciting moment" comparable to the
jump cuts
A jump cut is a cut in film editing in which a single continuous sequential shot of a subject is broken into two parts, with a piece of footage being removed in order to render the effect of jumping forward in time. Camera positions of the subjec ...
in the 1992 film ''
Husbands and Wives
''Husbands and Wives'' is a 1992 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. The film stars Allen, Mia Farrow, Sydney Pollack, Judy Davis, Lysette Anthony, Juliette Lewis, Liam Neeson and Blythe Danner. The film debute ...
''.
![KeiraKnightleyByAndreaRaffin2011 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/KeiraKnightleyByAndreaRaffin2011_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Critics highlighted Knightley, Canet, and Mendes for their performances.
''Filmmaker'' said Knightley provided "a layered portrayal of a woman at a crossroads she doesn’t know she’s at",
and ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' likened it to a "
Michelle Williams-style moodiness".
''Interview'' cited her delivery of the line "What I wouldn’t give to have tired of you" as an example of her "quietly devastating performance".
Despite finding Joanna unsympathetic, ''The Japan Times'' praised Knightley's ability to convey pain on screen.
''Filmmaker'' singled out Canet and Mendes for creating "original beats in their roles as possible paramours";
''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' preferred their characters over Joanna and Michael.
Mendes was praised as "particularly appealing" by
''Variety'',
and for "resisting the urge to overdo (and overvamp) her role the way a lesser actress would" by DVD Talk.
Some critics attributed Mendes' character and performance as her way of avoiding
typecasting
In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...
related to her appearance.
On the other hand, ''Politico'' criticized Canet for appearing more "creepy and presumptuous rather than romantic and sad".
Worthington received criticism for his performance. DVD Talk cited his "dull and lifeless" acting as the film's main problem,
and ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'' noted his "idea of underplaying is to go blank".
''Politico'' criticized both Worthington and Knightley for being too "tepid" and not realizing their roles' potential.
Michael's storyline with Laura was poorly received, particularly in comparison to the scenes between Joanna and Alex.
IndieWire did not believe Tadjedin established enough why Michael and Laura have sex beyond a shared physical attraction.
Criticizing Worthington and Mendes as lacking chemistry, ''The Globe and Mail'' wrote that the pool scene was "ridiculously prim" and Laura was too "tired and remote" with Michael.
Other critics said the film was too unbalanced, preferring Joanna over Michael.
''
Den of Geek!
''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a bi-annual magazine.
History
''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ...
'' wanted the story to be "a little more even-handed towards Michael's character",
and ''The Boston Globe'' wished Tadjedin was more "generous with the rest of the cast as she is with Knightley".
References
Citations
Book sources
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Night
2010 films
American romantic drama films
Films about infidelity
Films scored by Clint Mansell
Films shot in New York City
French romantic drama films
English-language French films
2010 directorial debut films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films
2010s French films