Last Sentinel

Last Sentinel is a solid B-movie entry to the post-apocalyptic genre - but only if you are interested rather in story than in action only. Last Sentinel does not provide much action, nor is the story or the scenario that "new" but the execution is well done and I like the cast and their job done. So if you dig movies a la Air (Norman Reedus), The Divide (2012), 10 Cloverfield Lane, I Am Mother and the like, this one may provide solid entertainment time to you - all those movies have in common: a small group of people are confined to a place and got to fight for survival and against their own nature and angst.

I've been told that I'm impatient and I have... oh look, something shiny! A short attention span. And that's probably why I can't stand slowly paced films, especially when they are almost two hours long. But at least 40 mins into this film, I finally realized this was one of those very slowly paced films, but I kept wanting to watch.

The reason I found myself glued to the screen was the great directing by Tanel Toom, the excellent cinematography, the spot-on score, and the convincing performances by all the cast. All of that combined with a very intriguing screenplay, made the pacing bearable and time started to fly, as much was happening from scene to scene, so that the suspense and tension was constant, and I was hooked and curious as to what would happen next.

Up until the last half hour, I was also really impressed with Malachi Smyth's screenplay, as he kept giving only the right amount of bits of information about his four characters, their environment and their situation. I was excited to see how this film would resolve and end. Then in the last half hour of the film, it's like a fifth grade drama class stepped in and completed the screenplay instead of Smyth.

The film built-up great foundations, but ultimately it closes off with too little in the plot department, when the film's world gives ample options and opportunities to close-out in grandeur. Everything in the last half hour became convoluted, previous questions were never answered, especially the big one - what exactly was that round device and what's it supposed to do? Then the story devolves with an inane climactic twist riddled with plot holes that falls flat, made little sense with rational thought, and took away all the build-up and suspense I had in the first two acts. What a huge let down, and a waste of starting to watch this film, only to invest all that time for a ridiculous and nonsense ending. Writing doesn't get much lazier than that. It's like ordering a banana split supreme, waiting as they make it, and being handed a sour grape instead.

That's a real shame, because this was a visually stunning film, well shot, directed and performed, especially considering the small budget and fixed sets and location. It's a generous 6/10, all for the film's esthetics and performances, but could've easily been an 8/10 had the ending not been so lazily written, convoluted and unsatisfying.

Although the few actors and locations are very good for what seems a low budget movie, the pacing and tension works very well at the start, and the developments are smooth enough to carry the film for a while... the movie lasts two hours for a plot that is not particularly worth the wait, considering it doesn't stick the landing with its disappointing ending. The best compliment I can give it : it's not particularly bad or annoying at any point (see Interceptor for comparison purposes). But there's a lack of cohesion, specially with the message (if there even is one).. a lack of action, emotion, satisfaction or anything to hang on to.

The featured review rated this 3 and boring. I totally disagree. The film subtly tells the story of what war does to people in various ways.

4 people (2 military, 2 civilian) are aboard this sentinel tower located between the only two countries left in the world after flooding has covered all other places. Ok, somewhat unbelievable.

This tower has a device that can change the fate for the entire planet and is meant as a fail safe device if the second country attacks this first country, who constructed this sentinel tower.

The problem is that they signed up for 2 years, and their relief is well overdue. They experience all sorts of communication issues. Then something appears, and changes the dynamics of the story. If you don't like growing tension, then I guess you'd call that boring, but I took it more as a who-done-it mystery.

Imagine being out in the middle of the ocean between two warring countries, and you are the last line of defense on a rotting decrepid metal structure. That enough creates the tension.

The captain is a tough military lifer, and he plays that role well. His corporel seems less strict but still follows his orders. The two civilians just want to get paid and go back to dry land.

There's plenty of story here, enveloped in rain, fog, mystery. The acting is decent as is the story. The cinematography does a great job of depicting the isolation, along with creepy noises and screenshots to ramp up the excitement.

I suggest you give it a view. Not a bad flick.

Enjoy.

I've given this film a 5* rating because of the pacing that director instilled into the film. There needed to be more characterisation for the viewer to get behind each person. Other things that viewers needed the film to tell us A) What happened to the Earth/Continents/Countries prior to the war they are now fighting? B) Which Countries/Continents still exist? C) Which Countries/Continents are at war? D) For which side they are fighting? E) Are there any Countries/Continents not at war? Its a very bare boned film and my personal feeling is that maybe the Director was the wrong person to direct this!!