The Last Movie Star

There was a time during the 70´s and 80´s, when legendary actor Burt Reynolds was one of the most beloved actors during that time. With his legendary performances from Deliverance, Smokey And The Bandit and Cannonball Run. Of course Burt continued making a lot of other great films, and you could tell that he knew how to bring cinema magic to the screen. There are plenty of classics to choose between, but let´s talk about one film called Sharkey´s Machine, released in 1981. A film that he actually directed, and was the lead character known as Tom Sharky. A film where Burt shines as the narcotics sergeant who tries to clean up the streets. The plot may not have been very original, but the film is entertaining as a cop thriller. If you enjoy Burt Reynolds classics, and have not seen Sharkey´s Machine, you should pick up the Blu Ray release. Moving on into the late 80´s, we have another action classic known as Malone. A very simple action film, but worked thanks to Burt´s screen presence. There is a Blu Ray release of this film as well, and a film worth checking out. One thing you can see in his movie career, is that he released a lot of films that were box office flops. Why ? Hard to say, maybe the audience just did not match with his releases. But after a hard time, Burt finally got the respect he deserved in the 1997 film Boogie Nights from director Paul Thomas Anderson. Here Burt played a porn star director Jack Horner, who wants Eddie Adams ( Mark Wahlberg ) to be in his films, having a large package. Boogie Nights is a really good film, and a 90´s classic, showing the world of pornography in the 70´s. Really good cast, and a very well made film. A must own on Blu Ray. As the 90´s ended, Burt continued working in different film projects, and one of the films i remember most is the comedy The Dukes Of Hazzard, released in 2005. A film based on the popular TV series from the 70´s and 80´s. The cast of Johnny Knoxville, Sean William Scott and Jessica Simpson, also made their effort to make this film enjoyable. Early this year i was reading articles online about a film called The Last Movie Star, where Burt basically plays a former Hollywood star, who is no longer recognized as he was in his glorious days. I found this very interesting, that he would do a film like this. With a great looking cast, and a director who made some fun films back in the 90´s, is The Last Movie Star guaranteed to be a good time, or is this film a step in a completely wrong direction ?

Vic Berger ( Burt Reynolds ) had it all. He was a famous Hollywood movie star, with fast cars, plenty of women and living a luxary life. In present day, he is now an old man thinking back on his former lifestyle. Life is no longer what it used to be. He is invited to a small film festival, run by Vic Berger fan Doug McDougal ( Clark Durke ). He have arranged legend Vic Berger his own driver, Doug´s sister Lil McDougal ( Ariel Winter ) to the festival, something she does not really want to do. As Vic is picked up at the airport, he see that this is no real big festival. This is a fan film festival, and this is a big disappointment to him. He leaves, gets drunk and care more about leaving instead. But Vic have an idea, that Lil can drive him on a memory lane. To Lil this sounds like an awful idea, but they eventually agree on going. Doug is nervous, because the Vic Berger award is planned to be given to him, but Vic have decided to leave. The festival visitors are worried, if Vic will every show up, after leaving in a rude way ?

There is no doubt that The Last Movie Star is entertaining. In some ways it feels like we are witnessing the career of Burt Reynolds here, even though he plays another character. The journey to see him show up at a smaller film festival, is both fun, and a wake up call as well. It is very difficult to be on the top of the world forever. And this film clearly shows the positive sides of show business, and what happens when the lights go off. The character Vic Berger clearly miss the good old says, when he was a Hollywood legend. To be honest, this is one of the best acting performances that i have seen Burt Reynolds do in many years. He really goes into his character, and try and show how tough life can be when the glorious Hollywood life style is gone. I also think Burt shows his comedy side as well in this film, he knows how to be funny. And the story is also charming along the way, to show how an old man and a young woman are forced to get along, during their road journey. One of the characters i also enjoy in this film, is the young woman Lil, played by actor Ariel Winter. She is loud, very confused, and she also manage to be funny in some scenes. I also enjoy the cameo by legendary actor Chevy Chase in this film as well, he also does a good job. The Last Movie Star is a film with a lot of things to say, most of all the film clearly wants to say, make sure to live life before it all ends. Director Adam Rifkin ( who directed the 1994 classic The Chase ), have given us a special film, and i have to say he really have done a good job, trying to tell a charming story. Just the idea around this film, is why it works. To tell a story about a former Hollywood star could have been boring, or very predictable. But director Adam Rifkin focus on telling the story from another perspective, where we see a man trying to deal with his health issues and personal problems. There are a few slow scenes, where we get a lot of dialogue. But that´s ok, the film manage to go on anyway and feel charming. The Last Movie Star is a film you should see, not just because of the performance of Burt Reynolds, but also because the film will make you realise to appreciate life. You will find this film on VOD, DVD or Blu Ray, and i guarantee that you will enjoy yourself. Sometimes, smaller films have much more to say than massive box office hits, and The Last Movie Star clearly shows the right path.

Rating: DDD