4/12/2005: Views: Last Orders
Last Orders 2001, dir. Fred Schepisi
Last Orders is a lovely movie about life, death and friendship, and how the passage of time affects all. The film follows a group of "greatest generation" friends through the course of a day as they set out to scatter the ashes of a friend, and it simultaneously covers a 50-year period of their shared history through flashbacks.
The title refers to their friend Jack's request to have his ashes scattered at the English seaside town of Margate, and also to the British pub call for "last orders" at closing time. The group's base and meeting place had always been their local pub, the Coach and Horses, and that's where they gather to have a pint before setting out with the urn of ashes.
Making the day trip from London to Margate are long-time friends Ray (Bob Hoskins), often called "Lucky" for his love of horseracing and placing the occasional winning bet for the others; Vic (Tom Courtenay), the local undertaker with a balanced perspective and more familiarity with death than the others; and Lenny (David Hemmings), a malcontent whose quick temper and passive-aggressive behavior is balanced by his wit and humor. Jack's son Vince (Ray Winstone) is also on board, driving the quartet in a used Mercedes-Benz from his car lot and reflecting on his troubled relationship with his father. Michael Caine plays the recently-departed Jack, an outgoing, flirtatious and well-liked London butcher, whose life is revealed to us through flashbacks and conversations, particularly between his widow Amy (Helen Mirren) and Ray (Hoskins).
Director Fred Schepisi adapted Graham Swift's novel for the screenplay, and he cleverly blends the one-day outing with a 50-year period to give us a good view of how these folks arrived where they are, and how their lives had unfolded differently than their youthful expectations. We learn - and we care - how their lives and their children's have been intertwined, and how each of them have dealt with their disappointments (or not), especially Jack.
The day's journey also gives us some vicarious sight-seeing through the streets of greater London, the countryside of Kent, Canterbury Cathedral, the War Memorial at Chatham, and Jack's final destination, Margate itself.. along with several pub stops along the way. The characters are subtly and remarkably well-developed, and, not surprisingly considering the cast, the acting is superb. Those playing the roles of the various characters in their youth also do a fine and believable job.
Last Orders is a realistic look at that stage in life when old friends begin to lose each other to death. These characters are all reflective about what Jack's death means to them, but their reflections are for the most part private: toward each other they carry on as always, cracking jokes and sipping pints, and toasting to their good friend Jack. The film is poignant without being sappy, thoughtful without being preachy, and it still manages to provide more than its share of smiles and chuckles.
