Sean Penn may have starred in a handful of comedies throughout his career, but he’s earned a reputation as A Very Serious Man who takes himself Very Seriously at all times. The two-time Academy Award winner is also an accomplished director, but The Last Face was a vanity project as self-indulgent as it was self-righteous.
The actor’s sixth feature from behind the camera deals in humanitarianism, something that’s always been a subject close to his heart, but the overly-earnest attempt devolves into white savior territory sooner rather than later, and found itself decimated by critics as a result in spite of its hot-button topicality and the presence of a pair of fellow Oscar winners in the lead roles.
Javier Bardem’s doctor is working in West Africa to deliver urgent medical treatment to victims of civil wars and conflicts, while Charlize Theron is a spokesperson for an outfit that offers financial assistance to improve the accessibility of medical care for those in impoverished nations. They meet, they have a steamy affair, but there’s also the ever-looming threat of gunfire to contend with.
Even though The Last Face is loaded with A-list star power, it barely scored a theatrical release, with the film instead largely being sent to the VOD doldrums. Looking at an eight percent Rotten Tomatoes rating it’s easy to see why, but somehow it’s being given a second chance by streaming subscribers who must not have anything better to do for a mind and butt-numbing 132 minutes.
Per FlixPatrol, the diabolically misjudged wartime tale has ducked and taken cover on the most-watched charts of ad-supported platform Freevee, a decision many of them may come to regret.
Published: Mar 6, 2023 12:17 pm