Although it may sound like the title of a reality show featuring assassins figuratively and literally gunning to be the champion, "The Last Shot" is actually more akin to "Last Comic Standing." That's the reality show where standup comedians try out their wares on audiences and judges in hopes of making them laugh and winning the competition.
Now, this effort isn't actually about such matters, but instead features the FBI shooting a mock film in hopes of nabbing some bad guys. The analogy comes from the fact that this picture feels like a comedian whose timing is off just enough and where the jokes -- no matter how well thought out or intentioned -- simply fall as flat as those of a standup who's bombing on stage.
Reportedly based on a true story, the film reminded me quite a bit of the equally mediocre comedy "Big Trouble." Both feature large, well-known and talented casts and decent comedic premises. Yet, like that earlier effort, this one fails to elicit the laughs thanks to misguided direction and a script that's perpetually close to success, but is consistently off just enough that it never really works as intended.
Granted, it's not a fiasco or even a labored, embarrassing or forced offering. Instead, it's just flat and mediocre from start to finish, attributes that can be just as deadly as those earlier ones for any film, but particularly one that desires to be a comedy.
From a montage of wacky ideas pitched to the FBI agent-cum-film producer to the dog-hating, psychotic girlfriend to various Rhode Island locales being used as substitutes for Arizona's Grand Canyon and more, it's easy to see what the film is trying to do and be. Yet, for all of its efforts, it just doesn't work.
Not being familiar with the real story, I can't say how closely -- or not -- the film follows the actual incident. Whatever the case, there's obviously lots of potential in such a tale, but writer/director Jeff Nathanson (who makes his directorial debut after penning the likes of "Catch Me if You Can" and "The Terminal") fails to take advantage of it.
All of which is a shame, not only because the script for "CMIYC" was so good, but also due to the presence of a terrific cast that obviously but incorrectly believed that the humor (that was presumably on paper) would seamlessly transfer to the big screen.
In the meatiest roles are Alec Baldwin ("Along Came Polly," "The Cooler") as the agent turned film producer who gets more caught up in making the movie than in catching the bad guys, and Matthew Broderick ("The Stepford Wives," "You Can Count on Me") as the gullible first time director who's repeatedly asked to adjust his film to meet what the agent can supply and the Feds' case dictates. Despite having the script let them down, both are actually decent in their roles.
They also interact with a host of supporting characters that are supposed to add comedic depth to the offering, but only highlight another round of who's who of wasted talent. On Baldwin's side, Ray Liotta ("Identity," "John Q") plays his immediate superior and sibling; James Rebhorn ("Far From Heaven," "Meet the Parents") is the big boss/executive producer of the film; and Tony Shalhoub ("Against the Ropes," TV's "Monk") plays the target mob guy hired to take care of the organized labor.
Broderick's contacts include his psychotic, dog-hating, profanity-spewing, aspiring actress girlfriend played by Calista Flockhart ("William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream," TV's "Ally McBeal"). His co-screenwriter and disillusioned, Old West show brother is embodied by Tim Blake Nelson ("Holes," "Minority Report"), and Toni Collette ("Connie and Carla," "The Sixth Sense") playing an award-winning actress who agrees to star in the film but wants to be yet another cook in the production kitchen. A number of other well-known or at least recognizable performers such as Joan Cusack, Buck Henry and Pat Morita appear in bit parts of varying sizes, but none of their material is particularly funny either.
Considering that the effort is designed as something of an insider's satirical look at the filmmaking process, such a waste of talent is all the more disappointing. As I watched it and its various gags and jokes repeatedly falling flat, I kept thinking of "State and Main," David Mamet's far superior satire on the same topic, and only wished this one worked even just half as much as that film.
It's hard to blame or pinpoint any one thing that makes the film a comedic misfire, but there's no denying it's just that. Wasting a decent premise and especially a terrific ensemble cast, "The Last Shot" isn't horrible, but the fact that the resultant laughs are in extremely short supply means that it only rates as mediocre offering.
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