Written by Leah Ladoux, Paul Tomasini, Chloé Vittenet, and director Nicolas Dozol, Last Party appears to be one sustained take. In reality, it was 28 long takes, carefully stitched together to create the illusion. Thanks to the hard work of Dozol, director of photography Aurel Ganz, and editor Malaury Zsolt, the dramatic fantasy feels like a wistful waltz through a graduation party.
Angela (Lucie Cecchi) is the shy one in her friend group. But that still does not prevent her from going to the biggest graduation party being thrown. Once there, she’s accosted by Jim (Quentin Demon), who wants a one-night stand. While uncomfortable, Angela’s friends swoop in and help her escape the awkwardness. Another attendee, Alexander (Remi Gerard), has a fling with Romain (Victorien Bonnet) despite having never been attracted to men before. Lily (Uma Condolo) is not quite enjoying the revelry as much as the others. She’s mad over a recent breakup and accuses Angela of stealing her purse despite the mix-up being Lily’s fault. Finally, disc jockey Ethan (Teddy Hardy) becomes fed up and storms away from the turntables.
By fate — or coincidence, happenstance, serendipity, or just plain ol’ luck — Angela, Alexander, Ethan, and Lily wind up in the bathroom together. Then, they mysteriously become locked in. The foursome bangs on the door, calls out to the other partygoers, and tries to smash the door down. But it is all to no avail, as they are still locked in. How were they locked in? Who is the alluring lady in the gold dress, and why does she seem only to appear before fateful decisions are made?
Last Party has some translation errors in its subtitles that take non-native language speakers out of the film. Alexander states that he’s not gay. Romain says, “Neither do I,” instead of “Neither am I.” Who knows whether this was a direct translation or simply a poor one? Unfortunately, that is just one of a handful of examples throughout the swift 70-minute runtime. While the story beats can still be followed and the character arcs make sense, some moments come across as awkward or strange due to this.
“…Angela, Alexander, Ethan, and Lily wind up in the bathroom together. Then, they mysteriously become locked in.”
Also odd is Lily’s insistence that Angela took her bag. Angela never grabbed her purse from the moment she placed it down. Lily accidentally picked up Angela’s because they are identical and right next to each other. Yes, high schoolers don’t always think through things and can quickly cast unwarranted judgment. However, this apparent mistake was perpetuated by Lily and no one else. Blaming anyone else feels inauthentic and is the least realistic thing about the film.
With that out of the way, there is a lot to recommend about Last Party. The lighting is stellar from beginning to end. The long takes are captivating and edited together seamlessly. The teens’ immediate needs and hopes for the future are realistic.
Cecchi is remarkable as the meek but clever Angela. She imbues the role with natural charm. Hardy makes the DJ’s breakdown believable and intense. Condolo truly feels like an uptight gossip who loves to stir up trouble. Gerard is grounded, even when the fantastical elements show up halfway or so through the film.
Last Party is brilliantly directed and staged. The cast, especially the core four actors, are brilliant. The lighting and cinematography are first-class all the way. The plot intrigues, especially once Angela, Alexander, Lily, and Ethan become locked in the bathroom. But a nonsensical subplot and poorly translated subtitles prevent the film from finding its full stride.
"…a wistful waltz..."
