The Last Days of Disco Review
by Dustin Putman (FilmFan16 AT aol DOT com)January 22nd, 1999
The Last Days of Disco * * * (out of * * * * )
Directed by Whit Stillman.
Cast: Chloe Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale, Chris Eigeman, Mackenzie Astin,
Matt Keeslar, Robert Sean Leonard, Tara Subkoff, Jennifer Beals, Burr Steers, David Thornton, Jaid Barrymore, Taylor Nichols, Carolyn Farina.
1998 - 114 minutes.
Rated R (for profanity and nudity).
Reviewed October 18, 1998.
Whit Stillman's 'The Last Days of Disco' is said to be the final part in his "romantic-yuppies" trilogy, after 1990's charming 'Metropolitan' and 1994's mediocre 'Barcelona,' and it is also his strongest and most satisfying film to date.
Set during one year in the "very early 1980's," the film follows two new friends, naive, but understanding Alice (Chloe Sevigny) and
self-involved Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale), just out of college in New
York City, who are both working up the ladder to become book editors for
a high-profile company. At night, they go out to the disco clubs, dance
the night away, and hope to meet some guys. At the start of the film,
Alice meets Josh (Matt Keeslar) and they immediately hit it off, until
she finds out he still has a fiance who is "on hold." Meanwhile,
Charlotte begins a relationship with Jimmy, an ad executive (Mackenzie Astin). Also figuring into the story is a worker at one of the disco
clubs, Les (Chris Eigeman), who breaks up with girls by telling them he
is gay, and who begins to like Alice, as well, even though he would probably be more appropriate with Charlotte.
"The Last Days of Disco," is a thoughtful examination of all of these characters, as well as a portrait of a specific time and place. The
disco clubs, although I was too young to remember them, are very
accurate, and the nearly non-stop disco songs that play over the scenes
are well-chosen, and at times, bring certain scenes into the realm of
the brilliant. The title, "The Last Days of Disco," has a lot of significance for the story, because as the film moves through a time
span of the year, we see visually how the clubs begin to diminish until they ultimately are no more.
One of the most entertaining things about the film is the dialogue,
which, as in Stillman's last two pictures, is always witty and fun to listen to. I do think, however, that Stillman has grown as a director
with his third effort because the characters feel much more well-drawn
and realistic, and the story flows more effortlessly.
The best element in "The Last Days of Disco," aside from the disco
music, is Chloe Sevigny, who, with this picture, has become one of my favorite actresses. She is so charismatic and talented that if you watch her in this, and then her character in last year's mindblowing, one-of-a-kind, "Gummo," it literally does not even seem like the same person. Sevigny is likable, and her performance is surprisingly
touching, particularly in her scenes with Beckinsale, whom she can't
stand because she is so stuck up. Although Beckinsale's character of Charlotte is extremely unlikable, Stillman is smart in not coming right
out and labeling people. Most lesser films tell its audience how we are supposed to feel about the characters, but with Stillman, we learn to
like or hate his characters as they gradually are developed.
The film is not perfect, however. One of the problems I had was that all
of the male leads looks so much alike, I had a lot of trouble telling
them apart. Perhaps Stillman would have been better off casting people
with more varying features, instead of them all being about the same
height and age, with short brown hair.
But this is a minor quibble, because "The Last Days of Disco" is a
hugely successful comedy. There are not exactly any big, "dramatic"
scenes, but like many foreign films, Whitman would rather his audience
be moved by the subtle dialogue and sequences. And the last scene in particular, played out to the song, "Love Train," is one of the most invigorating moments in any film of 1998.
- Copyright 1999 by Dustin Putman
< <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/FilmFan16/index.html">Dustin Putman's Film Haven</A> >
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