Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: IF YOU WERE THE LAST [SXSW 2023 - Austin, Texas]
The idea of romance in a closed space takes on a different connotation in outer space. Certain films can find their texture in loneliness or an aspect where flashbacks take on a longing in a isolated sort of way. But it is an interesting exercise to make almost a romantic comedy in this essence using a different base of environment. Director Kristian Mercado does something very interesting here (at least for the first 3/4 of his film) with his two stars: Anthony Mackie and Zoe Chao as two married astronauts lost in space in a space shuttle around Saturn with no navigation or comms. However the special effects play to something more abstract and the sets reflect this. Unlike "Moon" which found a balance in its coldness, "If You Were The Last" [Narrative Spotlight/World Premiere] plays towards the comforts of home in an almost Play Doh/paper mache way. It takes a bit to get used to in the beginning but once that mixed media becomes the language of the film, the humor and the chemistry take over, especially in dealing with the improbable or nonsensical aspects of the concept (especially with a compatriot named Benson).
The film is about these two people, over dancing, watching movies and working out becoming closer and closer despite their logical minds telling them not to. The film in this way is very sweet...and once it gets to a certain needle drop after building it up, the audience (and this was true at SxSW inside the Paramount theater) were hooked). The film moves towards its certain point (not unlike "Gravity" but more day glo) which is a beautiful thing especially with its connotations of fate and guilt. But that is a great ending point. The thing is when it hits this point, because the viewer is in that mindset, it has an exceptional pitch while still being both existential and poignant. One almost wants that gift to stay that way and not graduate to anything else.
The third act changes that, not in a bad way, but in a way that wasn't necessary, except in the conventions of film structure. The film actually becomes more formulaic in this instance. The performances by Mackie and Chao throughout are stellar, especially in a tone that is very different (especially for Mackie) than previous roles. But it is fairly pitch perfect on the ship because of the bubble. Natalie Morales and Peter Krause have supporting roles and again, are definitely magnetic but the tropes of that kind of film actually take away from what we saw earlier. This is just a choice of the filmmaker but keeping "If You Were The Last" in an almost cartoon world in space but with the grounded chemistry, lust and connection so close to the surface in these two lead characters is the undisputed power and originality of the film. B+
By Tim Wassberg
