The Last Kiss

I adore Zack Braff. He may be the most relatable man in Hollywood. Even more so than Tom Hanks, because let's face it, everyone knows Tom Hanks now has enough money to build his own moonbase if he chose, and that makes him seem a little distant. Braff on the other hand is just hitting his stride as an everyman. His character on NBC's "Scrubs", J.D., is clueless, genuine, a little selfish at times, and hopelessly love-lorn. Just like most of us. By the way if you're not watching "Scrubs" do yourself a favor, and Tivo those reruns currently running on Comedy Central.

"Scrubs" is a great show, but not enough of a ratings juggernaut to make Braff a star. Most people's first real impression of him came from his writing and directing (and acting) film debut, Garden State. It is a completely un-ordinary romantic comedy. Braff shows real promise here as a director and writer, and if you weren't already madly in love with Natalie Portman this pretty much seals the deal. All of that excitement had me jumping to see Braff's new film, The Last Kiss. Ella and I got that chance (accompanied by Mr. Starswick) last Thursday.

I had found out about a week before that the film does not represent Braff's second writing/directing project as Paul Haggis (Crash) and Tony Goldwyn (TV's Law and Order and Grey's Anatomy) fill those respective jobs. Haggis is on (and this is an understatement) a hot streak, winning consecutive Oscars for "Million Dollar Baby" and "Crash." So, this film isn't "Garden State." But you shouldn't hold that against it.

The film is very well acted. Braff, and his two leading ladies, Rachel Bilson and Jacinda Barret are all excellent. The real surprise here is Casey Affleck as Braff's married friend. I've shouted my love for Ben Affleck before, but let me now say that the man crush apparently extends to the whole family. Casey is perfect in the role of young husband and father, drowning in his responsibilities. Drowning, is perhaps a good way to describe the whole film.

This is a film in the vein of Love Actually or more precisely Closer. It's about love, and is often funny, so it would be easy to call it a romantic comedy, but this is no comedy. It's a film about how difficult love is to maintain, and how easy to lose. It's rough, especially for those of us in relationships, but the level of art is high enough to deserve your attention, even if it makes you a little uncomfortable. Overall, it's a fantastic experience that only leaves me more excited to see what Zack Braff does next.