DVD Review: Last Minute, The (C+)

The Last Minute (2001)
Directed by Stephen Norrington
Starring Max Beesley, Emily Correy and Stephen Dorff
MPAA: R
Grade: C+

Review by Scott Standish

Best known for directing Blade, Stephen Norrington brings a visual feast to the table with The Last Minute. The film openly wears its influences on it's sleeve (it's Fight Club meets Trainspotting) but things get a little more complicated with this tale of fame and fortune as the lead characters literally go underground.

Max Beesley stars as Billy Byrne, a hotshot that the London press can't seem to get enough of. He's a model/philosopher/movie personality that becomes the "it boy" for a very fleeting moment. As fast as the fame and fortune came- it all disappears. Norrington cleverly obfuscates whatever it is that Billy is supposed to actually do, or produce. He's just a salable commodity, a good looking guy with personality. When the press turns on him, Billy's world collapses into a dark world of homelessness and drug addiction.

The look of the Last Minute is the true star here and frankly, its about the only thing that really kept me going. Ultimately, the Last Minute thrill ride seems to lose steam in its final act. The Last Minute might have attempted to much in one film as the script is a little silly at times (especially the song and dance numbers?).

However for fans of Blade, the visuals are pretty darn nice and this is a film that certainly has its moments.

Buy The Last Minute On DVD