But whether or not the untimely obliteration of our entire planet really does occur at this rom-com disaster movie’s conclusion I shall not explicitly state, for that would be cruel of me. What I will say is that in the film’s ending, writer-director Lorene Scafaria (scriber of indie-rock romance “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”), if she will allow me to be so crudely graphic, displays a pair of shiny steel balls, for which I admired her, even if the rest of her directorial debut is - like “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist" - a so-so affair.
In the film’s beginning, we are listening to a radio broadcast, in which it is announced that Armageddon shall happen in three weeks time. This will be at the hands of a 70-mile-wide asteroid dubbed Matilda, which is hurtling its way through space in the direction of our tiny planet. A space-shuttle was launched by the government in an attempt to decimate the world-ending space rock, but, as this is not a Michael Bay blockbuster starring Bruce Willis, the mission failed, meaning the asteroid will hit its target and mankind will soon perish. Don’t worry, though: the radio station assures us that they will be playing all our classic rock favourites during the countdown to the end of days.
One of the many millions listening to this broadcast is Dodge Petersen (Steve Carell, “Crazy, Stupid, Love”), an insurance salesman whose wife leaves him for another man once the news hits. Dodge is left alone in his East Coast apartment, hopelessly sinking into depression as the world outside takes advantage of the approaching catastrophe and descends into mindless, sex-crazed anarchy. Dodge’s Hispanic maid, however, appears to be completely oblivious to the impending apocalypse. “I’ll see you next Wednesday, Mr. Petersen,” she says as she leaves his apartment, wearing the kindest of smiles. You’ve gotta love Hispanic maids.
Dodge has a chipper young English downstairs neighbour named Penny (Keira Knightley, “A Dangerous Method”), whose douchebag boyfriend caused her to miss the last flight that would take her to see her family. One night, as Dodge spots her sobbing on the fire escape, Penny and Dodge form an unlikely friendship and arrange a deal: if Penny helps him find his high school sweetheart (whom he has just discovered was in love with him the whole time), Dodge will help her get back to her family. Oh, I should probably note: Penny is shown to be a narcoleptic, a character revelation that serves merely as a clunky plot device.
And thus “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" becomes a road movie, with Penny and Dodge, along with an abandoned terrier, traveling across the East Coast, first in Penny’s hybrid car, then in a stolen truck, and finally in a goofy-looking smart car. As with most road movies, we meet a cast of colourful characters along the way, including the overly friendly waiters of a restaurant named Friendsy’s (think a more manic T.G.I. Fridays, if you can), a curiously determined policeman, and a seemingly cordial trucker whom Dodge notices has a muddy spade sitting in the back of his truck.
These parts of the film are amusing and often inspire a giggle or two, and play out much like they would in any other comedy road movie. The only difference here is that we meet these crazy characters against a backdrop not dissimilar to that of Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia,” a significantly less comedic apocalyptic drama also involving a planetary collision. Therein lies the problem with “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World:” on the one hand we have wacky character comedy and on the other we have the doom and gloom that naturally accompanies the end of the world. The two are showcased in abundance by Scafaria but don’t quite fit together, resulting in a tonal muddle.
Scafaria’s script leaps, bounds and pole-vaults back and forth between zany comedy and sombre drama with very little flow or rhythm. A supposedly hard-hitting early scene of suicide by jumping out of a window was met with a chuckle by my audience, as was a moment in which a character is unexpectedly shot through the throat by a hired assassin. The reason for the chuckles was, I suspect, the string of lighthearted comedy beats that preceded these violent incidents. Whether or not these two moments were in fact intended to be funny I honestly couldn’t tell you. What I can tell you is this: if, like Scafaria’s script, you keep on pole-vaulting back and forth between two spots time and again, eventually exhaustion will kick in.
As a romantic couple, Carrel and Knightley share about as much sexual chemistry as they possibly could, which I’m sad to report is, at the most, sparse. A scene in which they give into their baser urges is awkward, to say the least. But as a pair of misfit pals, they work much better on-screen together. As a man going through an end-of-life crisis, Carrel re-explores his usual schtick of deadpan skepticism and irritated disappointment, which remains effective. Knightley I think is more impressive: in this lively, kooky role, she displays a knack for comic timing and tear-soaked emotion, a far cry from the woodenness that has plagued much of her career thus far. Dodge and Penny are likable individuals, and for the most part I enjoyed their company in what are undoubtedly the darkest of days.
“Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” is a film in which a happy ending is unlikely, but not entirely off the table. I left it feeling not unhappy but dissatisfied. I was unsure of the sort of film I had just watched: was it a black comedy, a comedy-drama or a drama that just happens to feature oodles of comical scenes? Scafaria can’t seem to make up her mind, though to be fair to her this is her first work as a director, so her handling of tone may improve in future projects. This, however, is a muddle, but a muddle that nevertheless supplies a few laughs, a tender conclusion and two fine performances at its centre. So, for Miss Scafaria at least, the end of the world is not quite nigh. Sorry to disappoint a few sandwich board-wearers.
5/10
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