Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World

Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World

Directed by Lorene Scafaria

A bizarre, touching, and sometimes hilarious movie with a strangely clashing concept, Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World is fun, but leaves me quite conflicted.

Lighthearted in many ways, but as heavy as a movie can be in others, the entire concept of this movie causes my head to spin: A romantic road trip comedy... set a few days before the end of the world. Who thought this was a good idea for a movie, and how did they actually pull it off? I feel this is largely due to the casting of Carell and Knightley as the two leads, who are every bit as mismatched as the story itself.

The chemistry between Carell and Knightley is what makes this movie a success. First off, I feel it necessary to say that I am not the biggest fan of Keira Knightley. When I say that, of course I mean I don't like her at all. I find her acting ability very limited (virtually non-existent, to be totally honest) and incredibly erratic. Here, however, she manages to make the material work, thanks in part to Carell's ability to play well with others. Maybe she's improving as an actress? I hope so, but the world of cinema wouldn't be missing out on much if she wasn't.

After I watched this movie, I was left somewhat upset. Not at the movie itself, which I enjoyed quite a bit, but by the whole idea of it. Few movies this year have left me so conflicted on my thoughts of it. I enjoyed it, I thought it was funny, and I thought the leads were likeable. But the effect this movie had on me was very dark and depressing, in all the wrong ways. I liked it as I look back on it, but I hate how it makes me feel to think about it. I almost want to ignore the ending of this movie and focus only on the set-up. Either way, this movie is sad, sweet, and kind of fantastic. But, also it's not... If you can decipher what it is I'm trying to say about this movie, I commend you.

Honestly, I think the fact that I find it nearly impossible to explain how I feel about this movie makes this review somewhat successful. Because that's exactly how I feel about it. I enjoy it, and I think it's a good movie, but I also don't like how it makes me feel. But since everything about this movie is a strange blend of oddly-conflicting parts, my personal opinions being so scattered is almost an inevitability.