While I've not seen all his pictures to date, I've seen enough of Abel Ferrara to place considerable trust in him as a filmmaker. Not all his works are equal (I don't know what he was trying with 'New Rose Hotel,' but I found it abominable), yet at his best his films are wonderfully entertaining and absorbing. He's played in other genres outside thrillers, crime, and drama, so why not also explore the end of the world? Like other creators who have done so, I note that in Ferrara's scenario he elects clean, easy, fast and painless calamity over the slow and ugly demise that's the horrid truth of our reality. More interesting - or is that less? - is what he chooses to do with this narrative backdrop, and the answer is: strikingly little. Or is that "a lot?" Who was it, again, that said that famous phrase about choosing to plant a tree even if the world were to end tomorrow? There are tinges of that ethos, here, and of how one faces such an event, and arguably of a loose touch upon the stages of grief. There are also modern Dadaist flourishes, wild careening from one nothing to another, in facets of the visual presentation, dialogue, scene writing, and more. There's an aspect of examining the last hours of one couple and their loving relationship, and illustration of fellowship in a time of crisis. We rather seem to get a little bit of everything, in fact... except for any substantial focus. Or is that the point?
For lack of such focus, it's difficult to get a particular sense of what it is Ferrara is trying to do. There are absolutely moments where the movie hits on something very good, a glimpse at a more solid thread around which the the whole could have been structured. This doesn't happen very often, however, and so more than not '4:44 last day on Earth' just kind of coasts along. There are complexities to these characters, and clear demonstration of avenues the feature could have trod, but it mostly Just Is; the cast are there, but just as rarely does it feel like they're especially present, or a part of something bigger. Still, somehow, there's an oblique measure of serenity to the story, such as it is. In a portraiture of humanity that's so incomplete, and a spectrum of storytelling that's so vague, there's something unexpectedly purposeful and heartfelt, and weirdly kind of beautiful, in the last small stretch of the length. For those occasional instances in which Ferrara has tried his hand at another genre, maybe this is art film. Be that as it may, it still would have benefited from a more concrete, tightened vision.
When all is said and done I think I do get what the filmmaker was going for, and I actually sort of like it. For as pointedly scattered as the picture is, however, that appreciation is hard won, and much less than absolute. I see the value in '4:44 last day on Earth,' but I more readily see its faults, and obviously that's even more true for general audiences. I can understand why this has been met with such mixed to low reception. I rather think it's only the most ardent, open-minded, and patient of cinephiles who are apt to admire this at all, which is unfortunate, because there is earnest worth here. It's apparent that Ferrara was aiming for lofty heights with this, though, so it only stands to reason that it would go over the heads of many and earn their disfavor. As far as I'm concerned this ultimately earns a soft recommendation, but only for those who are well aware of what they're getting into.
For lack of such focus, it's difficult to get a particular sense of what it is Ferrara is trying to do. There are absolutely moments where the movie hits on something very good, a glimpse at a more solid thread around which the the whole could have been structured. This doesn't happen very often, however, and so more than not '4:44 last day on Earth' just kind of coasts along. There are complexities to these characters, and clear demonstration of avenues the feature could have trod, but it mostly Just Is; the cast are there, but just as rarely does it feel like they're especially present, or a part of something bigger. Still, somehow, there's an oblique measure of serenity to the story, such as it is. In a portraiture of humanity that's so incomplete, and a spectrum of storytelling that's so vague, there's something unexpectedly purposeful and heartfelt, and weirdly kind of beautiful, in the last small stretch of the length. For those occasional instances in which Ferrara has tried his hand at another genre, maybe this is art film. Be that as it may, it still would have benefited from a more concrete, tightened vision.
When all is said and done I think I do get what the filmmaker was going for, and I actually sort of like it. For as pointedly scattered as the picture is, however, that appreciation is hard won, and much less than absolute. I see the value in '4:44 last day on Earth,' but I more readily see its faults, and obviously that's even more true for general audiences. I can understand why this has been met with such mixed to low reception. I rather think it's only the most ardent, open-minded, and patient of cinephiles who are apt to admire this at all, which is unfortunate, because there is earnest worth here. It's apparent that Ferrara was aiming for lofty heights with this, though, so it only stands to reason that it would go over the heads of many and earn their disfavor. As far as I'm concerned this ultimately earns a soft recommendation, but only for those who are well aware of what they're getting into.