The Last Time: Critic Reviews

Akin to hip-hop culture's misappropriation of Scarface as a tale of gangsta empowerment, writer-director Michael Caleo crudely latches onto the surface misanthropy of David Mamet's work to fuel his forgettable first feature.

Feels like a script that was written backwards, as if the twist ending occurred to [writer-director] Caleo first and he then filled out a story to get to it. Fair enough, except getting there in this case is just no fun.

For all the good work that went into it, the movie is as phony as a game of three-card monte.

[Writer-director] Caleo isn't able to sell The Last Time -- not the affair and especially not the ludicrous twist ending.

Strives for contemporary noir in tone but feels closer to an ineffective parody of James M. Cain filtered through faux David Mamet dialogue.

Love LaBute? Mad for Mamet? Well, let me introduce you to Michael Caleo.

Finding the all-important Achilles heel is the central focus of The Last Time, a routine office drama with a love triangle that unexpectedly turns into a biting character study.

A melodramatic disaster.

Seemingly developed at the David Mamet Institute for Twist-Laden Salesmen Dramas.

Wildly entertaining ... Skillfully walks a fine line between black comedy and intense drama ... It's one of the year's best.

A clever and twisty calling card for filmmaker Michael Caleo.

If this isn't the most irritating film I've seen this year, it's close. No, I take that back. It is the most irritating film I've seen all year.

A little bit nutty and pretty entertaining in a thoroughly unconvincing way. And watch out for that 11th-hour twist -- it's a head snapper.

exists to pad the resume of everyone whose name appears in the credits.

It alternates between bleak cynicism and a genuinely romantic sensibility, and this unusual combination makes the movie a great vehicle for Keaton and Valletta, and a compelling drama for the audience.

While his cast is first-rate, director-writer Michael Caleo doesn't know quite what his movie is about.