Last Night

This soul-searching marital drama revolves around suspicion and sexual temptation. Living the good life in Manhattan, Joanna (Keira Knightley) and Michael (Sam Worthington) find their marriage in jeopardy due to Michael's obvious flirtation with Laura (Eva Mendes), a seductive new colleague in his commercial real estate development firm, who is also accompanying Michael on a business trip. After a late-night spat, Michael assures Joanna that nothing's wrong, and she wants to believe him. When he's out of town, Joanna unexpectedly bumps into former lover Alex (Guillaume Canet), whom she hasn't seen in several years. Joanna is obviously still attracted to Alex, even though he's now involved with another woman in Paris. Superficially written and directed by Massy Tadjedin, Last Night not only feels contrived, but neither Joanna's nor Michael's characters are particularly appealing (since the couple don't seem to have either a firm friendship or a lot in common, why should we care if they do or don't cheat?). Plus, casting the alluring Mendes as the temptress is all too obvious. A relationship-based story that is ultimately lifeless—regardless of the crises of conscience and myriad choices explored—this is not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD extras include a digital copy of the film and trailers. Bottom line: a lackluster extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger)