"College is bullshit. College is a search engine. College is Goggle." - James Urbaniak as Alex Scarvey

In many ways, "The Last Romantic" is like many other comedies created by young males in their early 20's. But this happens to be one of the good ones. There's something very innocent, honest and hopeful that makes it stand out in the crowd.

The focus here is on Calvin Wizzig, an idiotic, socially inept, obviously ignorant young man who comes to New York to be a poet and get published. Played charmingly by Adam Nee, who made this film with his brother Aaron, Calvin would seem annoying and retarded in the hands of a less talented actor. He is that ignorant. He is a poet who hasn't written anything and expects to get published immediately upon his arrival. This idiotic idea is treated as absurdism by the film but it can seem a little trivial and trite at times.

Calvin is ignored by his friend, an artist named Francis (Ben Brock), who we later learn has a penchant for drawing penises on horseback. With nowhere to go, Calvin drifts through the city and meets up with different kooky women in sort of a young heterosexual male's fantasy of what wandering through New York must be. But "The Last Romantic" isn't about sex or even love really.

The film tries different artistic approaches at times that actually work even if they do seem somewhat sophomoric at times. For example, when Calvin meets up with one woman, who is very erotic and smart and speaks with an European accent, the film always turns to black and white. Calvin comes to her apartment and when the POV is on him looking at her, the film is black and white, when the POV is upon him in the hallway, the film is color. When he comes into the apartment, the film returns to black and white. In another interesting and cool moment in the film, a black woman sings a song acapella to Calvin which echoes what he is going through while he waits on an elevator. It's all very artsy. And even though it has been done before, this film somehow makes it charming and unique and fresh.

Nee's performance certainly is winning. We like Calvin and we become engrossed in his heterosexual absurdist romp through the Big Apple. The secondary cast is quite good and it's always awesome to see James Urbaniak in a film.

"The Last Romantic" ends with a killer and poetic moment that perfectly encapsulates the theme of wanderlust, confusion, alienation, and bewilderment that echo throughout the film. "Why do people write their names on things?" Calvin asks when he looks at some graffiti in the New York subway. It is an innocent question. By the end of the film, after his brush with the absurdity of the real world, out protagonist knows the answer.

And so do we.

Notes:

The film's credits says that it is "Based on the book 'The Girl on the Train' by Calvin Wizzig." This is an artist's conceit, an inside joke the audience should get by the end of the film.

Adam (who has done some episodic TV), in addition to starring, also co-wrote, co-directed, co-edited and co-produced the film.

Aaron directed, co-wrote, co-produced, co-edited and shot the film.

Anne-Marie Nee helped shoot the film and was a second unit director while John Nee is credited as Executive Producer.

Report Card

Script: A-

Acting: A

Cinematography\Lighting: A+

Special Effects\Make Up: A+

Music: A

Final Grade: A