Der letzte Akt (2014)

Der letzte Akt: Directed by Barry Levinson. With Al Pacino, Greta Gerwig, Nina Arianda, Charles Grodin. A stage actor who is slowly losing his mind engages in a relationship with a sexually confused younger woman.

“This film can be quite funny but also quite weird, as it had a certain appeal to me and I ended up liking it. Not everything works here, and I would venture to say itu0026#39;s not for everyone, but I felt the parts of the movie that do work, work well and make it worthwhile.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAl Pacino and Greta Gerwig are exceptional here, in the lead roles, and play off each other quite well. Pacino portrays Simon, an aging actor who sees his mental capabilities diminishing before his eyes, thus markedly affecting his ability to perform. Following an intentional leap from a stage into an empty orchestra pit, landing face first, followed by a botched suicide attempt, He ends up in a rest and rehab home for 30 days, before being released into the outpatient care of his therapist (Dylan Baker), whom he has sessions with on Skype.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGerwig plays Pegeen, who shows up at Simonu0026#39;s front door, one day, and is the daughter of former friends and co-performers of his, many years before. She tells Simon, whom she hasnu0026#39;t seen in many years, that as a child she used to have an enormous crush on him when he would visit their home. Despite declaring sheu0026#39;s an avowed lesbian, she begins to boldly seduce Simon and they soon begin a May-December relationship.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAll kinds of quirky characters will come and go throughout the film, such as Sybil (Nina Arianda) who met Simon in rehab and now is stalking him to kill her vile husband. Also, Prince (Billy Porter), who used to be Priscilla and in a relationship with Pegeen before the operation. Itu0026#39;s fun to see some veteran screen notables make varying screen time appearances, including Charles Grodin, Dianne Wiest, Dan Hedaya, Kyra Sedgwick, and Mary Louis Wilson.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s nice to see the acclaimed filmmaker Barry Levinson (Rain Man, The Natural) back with a movie on screen, with a screenplay from the great Buck Henry (The Graduate), and Mechal Zebede.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAll in all, this film offers something different but, as mentioned it will not appeal to everyone. With the performances of Pacino and Gerwig, as well as solid support, plus some quirky humor, I felt there was enough here for me to enjoy.”