The Last Stop

• The Last Stop Movie Review

  Published on: December 6, 2008

  A popular writing exercise involves the writer throwing a group of characters in a room and trying to explain how they got there and how they are going to get out. The Last Stop, a small-budget Canadian film, plays out the exercise to a tee. Unfortunately, this writing school test does not make for a very exciting movie. There is not a whole lot of excitement here, as the familiar ‘whodunit’ plot runs its course with very few bumps to throw off the viewer’s hunches.
  
  When a heavy snowfall snow becomes too much to travel through, a group of reluctant strangers becomes stranded at a remote rundown hotel located in the hills of Colorado. Jason (Adam Beach), a State Trooper, is among those trapped, and when two dead bodies turn up, he has a murder case on his hands. Everybody is a suspect, and the motive remains unclear until a big bag of money turns up, stashed behind the hotel’s dumpster. Tensions and fears run high as the eclectic group of hotel guests suspect and accuse one another. A burly truck driver clashes with a couple of racist redneck-types. The cast also includes a lippy ladies man, his ditsy new girlfriend and an old ex-lover of Jason’s. The hotel is run by an older couple that has an Autistic son who does not speak.
  
  Suspense builds as time passes and Jason works to track down the killer among the group. Naturally, the guests grow nervous. Jason races against the clock before the killer has a chance to strike again and escape.
  
  Although much of the movie is set indoors, some outdoor scenes show beautiful cinematography. There’s something about snowy, desolate locales that conveys beauty, even in ugly situations, like this one. Fargo and Affliction are just a couple of other films where white backdrops play an important part in the film’s feel – even though much of those stories is decidedly dark in nature.
  
  The Last Stop’s biggest problem is that it fails to really grab the viewer’s attention. It seems so obviously like a writer’s exercise that it is hard to get into the plot. There is some genuine suspense, but the end result is never in any real doubt. Perhaps the problem is the lack of original characters that are distinctive and grab our interest. Instead, we get shallow and predictable characters defined more by their physical characteristics rather than by how they are or how they behave.
  
  As a result, The Last Stop is mediocre. It presents some good suspense against a beautiful snow-covered backdrop, but it ultimately fails to get past common stereotypes and the feeling that the story is nothing more than screenwriter Bart Sumner testing his technique.

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• The Last Stop: Review from the Jurgen Prochnow Watchdog Fan Club Society

  Published on: June 21, 2006

  The Last Stop is about as straightforward a murder mystery as they come. If you have read any of Agatha Christie's novels, you'll peg the bank robber/murderer pretty quickly. So don't expect any mindnumbing surprises. It is a satisfactory story with some good production values. I'd say that it would have made a pretty good made-for-cable TV movie. This wasn't theatre material. The script is weak although the acting by Adam Beach is very good. He is a very likable and affable trooper. Carl as played by Winston Rykert seemed to leave a trail of slime when he exited a room. He slithers nicely. Jodie's a bimbo and I'm afraid not a very good one. After a while, all I was wondering is when is she going to get offed. Nancy as played by Rose McGowan was about as uninteresting a performance as they come. Could she have made poor Nancy any duller? I guess you want to know how Jurgen was ? He was the epitome of acting professionalism. His performance as Fritz was so wonderfully sedate and low key. It was nice to see him portray some poor working stiff just trying to meet his mortgage. You may even want to dismiss it as being not worthy of Jurgen's talent. I'm going to say otherwise. I think that it just shows how much versatility he has as an actor. And he works wonderfully with Adam Beach. So, I did I like "Last Stop" ? Yes, I did. It wasn't a great film, but it was a decent one and good for a round of popcorn-eating enjoyment. Well... in honor of Mr Limpet... the proxy Mr Limpet says Jurgen's onscreen was worthy of three stars ! The movie is worth 2 1/2 stars. I go along with Karen's assessment on all counts, except maybe one: I got a kick out of Carl and his bimbo, whose acting I wouldn't dare criticize just based on this. The characters were pretty tacky and I thought the actors were just hamming it up to have fun - and rightfully so. (Remember Jurgen in DNA? And ROBIN HOOD: THE MOVIE?) I thought Carl and Jodie were a hoot; Nancy, I didn't like much. But in fact there were a number of really superb actors in this, and yes, it's pretty decent popcorn. Jurgen is rather fascinating here because he's not too mushy with the autistic nephew. It's clear that he cares about him, but he's not overprotective and he skirts the edge of impatience a few times. Except for one emotional scene with his wife, that was really the only chance he had to give his interaction with other characters some depth. Good job taking advantage of that.

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