Look, you’re not going to watch the Chargers game this morning. They left San Diego for Los Angeles. So, why not watch some folks that came from Los Angeles to San Diego instead. At 10:30 this morning, you’ll get your last chance to watch this adorable rom-com. It’s done the way I wish rom-coms were done — smart, clever, and with great chemistry between the two leads.
It’s their first date, and Alex (Luke Brandon Field) and Zoe (Rachele Schank) don’t seem to be hitting it off so well. They go to see a movie, and he can’t get his tickets to pull up on his cell phone. The cashier is rude to them, and refuses to sell them popcorn because it’s after 10 p.m. Worst of all, they’re seeing The Intern, and Zoe is going to be falling asleep. Well, after she sees an obnoxious customer who sits right down in front of them in an empty theatre. He’s played by Brian Baumgartner of The Office, and as he laughs inappropriately loud and chomps on popcorn.
“Hey, where’d he get that popcorn!?” an incredulous Zoe asks.
The animation that pops up on the screen is rather clever. It reminded me of a TV dating show (Blind Date), where we’d watch the couples go on a date, and graphics would pop up to show what the people were thinking. My favorite was the “pros” and “cons.” Who doesn’t do that math in their head on a first date? Although, with a couple that looks as cute as these two, I’m guessing there’d have to be an awful lot of “cons” before they decide not to see each other again.
This couple gets in a few heated discussions, and before you know it, they’re locked inside. That might sound horrible until you realize…you’re spending time with an interesting person and…you’re not dropping $7 on a small popcorn, but making it for free. That escalates into a cute food fight, which ends up becoming a real fight, when a secret is revealed.
One of the many things I love about the San Diego International Film Festival is…we sometimes see gems like this that might never see the light of day. Last year, it was Entanglement (Thomas Middleditch). This year, it’s Stella’s Last Weekend and One Last Night. And you get one last night, well….morning, to see it. At 10:30 at the UA Horton Plaza. I believe the cast is doing a Q&A afterwards. After the showing I saw, I had a blast talking to French director Anthony Sabet. I asked him about the movie poster on the wall of the theatre (Walk the Light), asking if it was a short he had previously made. It was (and starred Michael Richards of Seinfeld). I asked him if when they were talking about De Niro playing an intern, if they purposely had other De Niro things going on (the obnoxious movie patron in front of them reminded me of Cape Fear, and the guy talks about De Niro getting a sex change). He smiled and said, “No, it wasn’t, but…I can say it was.” As we laughed, actor Luke chimed in “Yes, the movie Flawless. You caught that.”
If you miss One Last Night this morning, search for it at some point on demand, Netflix, or any of those avenues. You’ll be glad you did. And hey…you might learn a few things on what to do on your next date.
