Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a romantic drama that stars Steve Carell and Keira Knightley. Yes, you read right, Steve Carell in a drama.
You wouldn’t normally expect one of the funniest men in America to be in a serious film, but he pulls it off superbly. There are some funny moments in the movie, but if you go into it expecting a comedy you will be disappointed. As far as romantic dramas go, Seeking a Friend is great.
The film centers around Dodge (played by Carell) who is faced with the dilemma of what to do when an asteroid is on a collision course with earth and the entire planet only has 3 weeks left. Of course this makes you wonder what you would do if you were in the same position. Dodge decides to embark on a trip to find his first love, taking along his neighbor (played by Knightley). What follows is a journey where they encounter people from all walks of life using the last 3 weeks how they see fit. As mentioned, there are funny moments, but the mood of the film is more serious and we see a side of Carell which we haven’t seen before. The acting is good and all the characters are likeable, but the real star is the clever story and how well the makers of the film put it all together.
I wouldn’t recommend this film to audiences younger than a mature teen due to some language, drug use and mild violence.
This movie surprised me and although it didn’t do that great at the box office, I’d regard it as one of the best films I have seen in 2012. I put the low box office figures and low ratings down to people expecting to see the usually funny Carell doing what he normally does best, but if they went in open minded they would have seen Carell doing something even better – pulling off a great role as a much deeper character. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a must to watch this year, so rent it from your local DVD store or go out and buy it, you won’t be disappointed. For my recommendations for the best value for money, whether renting or buying, in Port Elizabeth and surrounds please email me.
Dubbel Gee’s Rating: 10/10
Author: Garth Ginsburg
Website: http://dubbelgeesreview.wordpress.com
