Synopsis: As an asteroid nears Earth, a man finds himself alone after his wife leaves in a panic. He decides to take a road trip to reunite with his high school sweetheart. Accompanying him is a neighbor who inadvertently puts a wrench in his plan.
This was one of my most anticipated films of this summer next to The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises. So, when the opportunity came around, I grabbed it, and sat down for what would've been an emotional ride to the end of the world wrapped up in a slightly-scruffy wrapped up package.
The idea of Steve Carell and Keira Knightly in a film about the end of the world sounds like (at least to me, anyway) a great concept. It wasn't only that, but what piqued my interest in this film was the idea that the two protagonists, Dodge and Penny (Carell and Knightly, respectively) each had an objective; heading off on a road trip to find Dodge's first love, and so that Penny can make her way to her family somehow.
The exciting part in this was seeing how people's reactions to impending doom would be portrayed; how people's lives would change, if at all, how individuals react, how the main character's lives would be affected.
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Throughout the film, we're shown the news updates on the asteroid and how close it is to the Earth, along with a graphic telling us how many days are left until the end.
As Dodge and Penny travel through the States(well, a few, anyway), they encounter a crazy bunch of individuals in a restaurant aptly named 'Friendsy's'; a Police Officer who won't let his duty go despite impending doom; and other people. Who I won't mention on account of Spoiler Alert.
SAFFTEOTW (thats Seeking a Friend For The End of The World, for those who aren't following) is an emotional roller-coaster which delivers some serious, hard hitting, emotional scenes which, 90% of the time are led by both Knightly and Carell. These scenes were the most memorable in the film, notably the beach, and final scene. these are the scenes which seriously made the film what it was, as well as the surprising appearance by Martin Sheen.
The first half of the film is primarily humour-driven, with some odd sombre moments here and there. The latter part, however, the film concentrates on the characters' more serious sides, like Penny's family, and Dodge's past. It's here where the film really takes a toll on the ol' tear ducts. It's also where Knightly really displays her emotional capabilities, with the exchanges between herself and Carell.
Seeking a Friend For The End of The World is a nicely written emotional pseudo-comedy with brilliantly added spells of raw emotion for good measure. Carell and Knightly perform well together, but Carell leads in this charming film about Love, Friendship and Alienation.