'Last Night' review

Keira Knightley (Credit: JoJo Whilden/Tribeca Film)

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["Last Night" premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. The following is an updated excerpt from Metromix's coverage of the festival.]

Character-driven drama "Last Night" focuses on a young married couple (Keira Knightley and Sam Worthington, utilizing their natural accents) each tempted to cheat with someone they're already close to—his colleague (Eva Mendes) and her ex-boyfriend (Guillame Canet). Without spoiling the twists, the film explores the complex nature of fidelity and two different kinds of betrayal.

The talky drama veers dangerously close to indulging the petty problems of pretty people, but writer-director Massy Tadjedin gives the action a seductive sheen and refuses to turn her characters into "Closer"-style monsters. She also provides the well chosen central quartet with a fair amount of smart dialogue, and a standout secondary role for Griffin Dunne as a wiser older man. "Last Night" is pretentious and not always successful, but it's also funny and sexy enough (without any real nudity, explicit sex or graphic dialogue) to lure you in and keep you hooked. And committed enough to its characters to justify exploring whether they'll stay committed to each other.

["Last Night" is available through the Tribeca Film on demand service from select cable providers.]

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