Fate and a healthy dose of co-inky-dink bring a group of loosely related characters together in one very, very shitty day in Atlanta. If you’re the type that enjoys basking in the bad fortune of others, “Last Goodye” is your big top circus.
Hmmm…where to begin… Okay, here goes. Agnes Shelby is a rising star. Through her starring role in a TV rip-off of “Blade,” she has quickly achieved celebrity status, a position in life that she is none too comfortable with. Adding to her uncomfortable situation is her relationship with rock star Peter Fitzpatrick. The relationship is strained at best and Agnes finds it impossible to keep a lid on it due to that ever-watching public eye. Due to their conflicting schedules, Agnes and Peter have trouble finding time to be with one another, something that doesn’t bother Peter too much as he’s shacking up with a young groupie, Jen, while in his hometown preparing to play a show that evening. Jen has run away from home, deciding to latch onto Peter, who really wants nothing to do with her, especially once he discovers that she’s still in high school. But there is someone out there who wants her and that someone is failed actor, office schlep, and full-time drunk, Roland. Jen is the daughter of one of Roland’s bosses and through that loose affiliation, Roland has formed a creepy need for the girl as his saving angel. And, to bring everything around full circle, Roland also seems to know Agnes and it appears that her rise to stardom has fueled the alcoholic rage that is threatening to tear his life apart.
And there they are, our happy campers, joined briefly by a loony street preacher played by David Carradine and a manic movie director played by Faye Dunaway, the both of them trying to get through to these lost souls with their own brand of wisdom. But, of course, nothing does get through to them and they continue along their sad course, dragging us along, back and forth through the entire day as their story is told in non-linear fashion, keeping things interesting for the viewer, keeping us on our toes, keeping us afloat so as not to drown in the doom and gloom of these characters’ lives.
Complimenting these miserable situations is the often blown-out look of the film, HD video actually, that perfectly conveys a sweltering day in Atlanta, Georgia. Adding to that, the characters are often sweaty and worn-out, they just look completely uncomfortable and that really helps to draw the viewer into this world.
“Last Goodbye” doesn’t paint the prettiest of pictures, but it does stay exciting enough to rise above all of the hot, piping misery. Turn your own bad day, into a not-so bad day with these characters that you want to just walk up to hug…and then run far, far away from .
