Beystiman
It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.
Sameer Callahan
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Myron Clemons
A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
Sanjeev Waters
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Gordon-11
This film is about a group of friends and family travelling on the road to Margate in order to carry out Jack's last wish. They all go on a trip down the memory lane in addition to their road trip."Last Orders" is a touching portrayal of friendship. Their bond is so strong even after 50 years, this itself is a reason to celebrate. Nowadays it is hard to see such friendship in the age of digital communication, and yet everyone yearns for them. The flashbacks adds dimension to their long lasting friendship, and makes the characters so convincingly human. "Last Orders" is quite a depressing film, and you need to be in the right mood to appreciate its beauty.
didi-5
This is something of an old boy's reunion, as Vic (Tom Courtenay), Len (David Hemmings), Ray (Bob Hoskins), and Vince (Ray Winstone) go on a trip to Margate Pier to dispose of their friend Jack's ashes (Jack is played in several flashback scenes by Michael Caine, while Helen Mirren is his wife Amy).During the journey we see several snippets of conflict between the four men and witness many events from their lives in flashback - Vince's decision not to follow his family trade of butcher's shops; Ray's short-lived affair with Amy; Vince getting Len's daughter pregnant. We also see something of Jack and Amy's marriage, from their first meetings and flirtations, to the comfort of a long partnership. The fact that a severely disabled daughter, June, both keeps them apart and together is interesting.As a film 'Last Orders' feels comfortably old-fashioned. The acting of the principals is assured and as such, we are swept along with the plot, however improbable and coincidental it may be at times. None of the characters are clichéd, and all are likable to some extent - we can see how events of the past have made them what they now are.Shamefully put into cinemas on a limited distribution, 'Last Orders' got a new lease of life when it became a free giveaway DVD in a UK newspaper, which meant it was potentially available to a wider audience (which makes me question whether in fact the use of these promotions could be to let films which quickly left cinemas be widely viewed).
Jackson Booth-Millard
From Fred Schepisi, director of Roxanne and Fierce Creatures, this is quite a good drama. Basically it is all about the friends of Jack Dodds who have been given the difficult "last orders" of scattering his ashes to the sea. These friends, Vic Tucker (Tom Courtenay), Lenny 'Len' (David Hemmings), Ray 'Raysie' Johnson (Bob Hoskins) and (I think) Vince 'Vincey' Dodds (Ray Winstone) on the journey remember the good times with their friend as butcher and pub mate. Sir Michael Caine as Jack in the flashbacks is the nice guy with a good personality. I cannot remember much of what happens, besides the scattering, and the fact that Caine and Hoskins are in it, but it is definitely worth seeing. Also starring Dame Helen Mirren as Amy Dodds. Good!
philip-ct
Atmospheeric, brooding, and thought-provoking, this film is not to be missed. I saw it on TV, and cannot recall it having a run on circuit (in SA) in 2000.It is a totally non-pretentious film: some drinking, lifelong mates are going to scatter the ashes - the Final Orders - of a buddy who has died. Through flashbacks, we see the intricacies of relationships, decisions that are made, and memories that are shared.It's a deeply moving film, with excellent ensemble acting. I heartily recommend this film: it's rich, multi-layered and well worth watching. It's a story about life and living, although it deals with death!
