Last Night (1998)

Set in Toronto at an unknown date, Last Night tells the story of how a variety of intersecting characters spend their final evening on Earth. It seems the world is to end at midnight (Eastern Standard Time ) as the result of a calamity that is not explained, but which has been expected for several months. There are several scenes of an ominously glowing sun, which gets progressively larger and brighter even into the night. Some people in the film choose to spend their last evening alone, others with loved ones, others in prayer, others in public mayhem, and still others at raucous festivities. The owner of a power company Duncan (David Cronenberg ) spends the majority of his final day calling up every single one of his customers to reassure them that their heating gas will be kept on until the very end. Meanwhile, his wife Sandra (Sandra Oh ) prepares to fulfill their suicide pact when she becomes stranded with a depressed widower Patrick (Don McKellar ) preparing to die while listening to music and drinking wine on his roof, surrounded by mementoes of his recently deceased wife. The widower's best friend Craig (Callum Keith Rennie ) participates in a nearly non- stop sex marathon as he attempts to fulfill every fantasy he has ever had, at one point awkwardly asking Patrick to join him. Sarah Polley appears as Patrick's sister Jennifer; their family chooses to have a final meal together although he leaves prematurely to seek his own finale. Jackie Burroughs makes an appearance as an apparently mentally disturbed woman who jogs around announcing how much time is left before the end. Arsinée Khanjian also appears as a mother on an abandonedstreetcar (tram) who is paralyzed by despair. In the climax of the film, Patrick and Sandra decide to fulfill the suicide pact that her husband was unable to complete. As midnight approaches, they both sit on the roof facing each other, listening to the song "Guantanamera ", each Directed by: Don McKellar holding a loaded pistol to the Produced by: Niv Fichman, Daniel Iron other's temple. As the final minutes Written by: Don McKellar approach, Sandra implores Patrick Starring: Don McKellar, Sandra Oh, Callum Keith Rennie, Sarah to resolutely carry out the pact. But Polley, David Cronenberg as the final seconds approach, both Music by: Alexina Louie, Alex Pauk characters are overcome with Cinematography: Douglas Koch emotion and simultaneously let Editing by: Reginald Harkema their pistols slip away as they Studio: Rhombus Media, La Sept, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation slowly embrace in a kiss and the Distributed by: Lionsgate last moments of all the major Release date(s): May 1998(Cannes Film Festival) characters are seen. It is at this Running time: 95 minutes moment that the world, and all its Country: CanadaLanguage: English variegated characters, is terminated.