Critical Film – A Review of Final

Final

Starring:

* Dennis Leary
* Hope Davis
* Jim Gaffigan
* Marin Hinkle

Director:

* Campbell Scott

In a surprising turn in the dramatic before the days of Rescue Me, Dennis Leary puts in a top-notch effort in this small time independent film about a man who wakes from a coma and his sanity is being evaluated by a doctor played by Hope Davis. The film work is simple and clean, as 90% of the film takes place in a single room with brief flashes to the past and a few outdoor shots. The setting seems a bit outdated, but for the budget that the movie was shot with, that’s not too pressing on the overall story.

The story takes Leary on a trip through his own troubled past and a relationship that he knows cannot be with Davis. His mind is still troubled as he believes that Davis and the workers at the hospital are out to kill him via lethal injection, but he is not too far off the actual truth. The acting is very well done with Davis and Leary, the connection between them seemingly real. Gaffigan, who surprises in a near-silent role full of compassion simply done through the looks on his face. Leary’s girlfriend, played by Miran Hinkle, is played quietly well, though her lack of experience is clearly overshadowed by the talent and screen presence of Leary most of the time.

The plot is quite well done as Leary is able to carry the act of insanity through all of his scenes. The only downfall to the plot is the finale, when everything that he believes was actually true. There was no suspense to it either, as they ruin the reveal by having a talk about it before hand. The relationship aspect is ruined because you know she knew that he was going to do nothing but die. Despite the lack of satisfaction in the third act, the rest of the film is strong enough to carry it through. The film is well done in script and setting. The acting of Davis and Leary is strong and compelling. All in all, the film is worth a watch and wont take too much time out of your day, clocking in at 111 minutes.