King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire by challenging him to a duel. – IMDb
The Last Duel (2021)
Starring
Adam Driver, Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck, Tallulah Haddon
Directed by
Ridley Scott
Box Office:
$30,552,111 Gross Worldwide
Review
Before I dive into my review, I do want to give a warning to anyone who is thinking of watching this film. If you are a survivor of any form of sexual assault, please be aware of what you are sitting down to view. There are a few scenes that may be too difficult to watch. If anything, please don’t watch it alone. Fast forward through certain parts if need be; get whomever is watching it with you to give you a quick summary.
Ben Affleck
Let’s get one thing out of the way first- “The Fleck”. I’m not going to say that I dislike Ben Affleck. I am not going to say that I like him, either. Let’s put him in the category of… let’s see… “I don’t hate him but he’s far from my favorite.” With that being said, in The Last Duel, Affleck definitely plays his part well. I wouldn’t be nominating him for any awards for his performance, but I also didn’t roll my eyes each time that he was on the screen. Trust me when I say that not rolling my eyes at him is quite a big deal. I think the fact that he and Damon are in a film together again is almost like an instant pang of nostalgia (Good Will Hunting). Is that enough to make any of their fans automatically like this film? You’d have to ask one of their fans.
Matt Damon
It took me awhile to appreciate Damon as an actor. About a decade ago, I rewatched a few of his films. I wanted to see if maybe I was too quick to judge. Or, perhaps I needed to be a little bit older to truly appreciate his acting skills. While I won’t be putting him in my “Top 20 Actors of All Time” list, I am able to say that he has definitely grown on me. (Has anyone else watched Stillwater? I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about that one.)
Adam Driver
I first noticed Adam Driver while binge watching Girls. Now that he has landed an increasing amount of leading rolls, everyone is suddenly “Team Driver”. Meanwhile, I had already been there for years that he was one to watch. Even now, many are loving seeing him play Kylo Ren. While Star Wars is not my cup of tea- I’d watch any scene featuring Driver. It’s also neat that Jodie Comer plays Rey’s Mother in Star Wars Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker. I love when there are connections like that.
When it come to The Last Duel, Driver once again offers quite a performance. Is my biased opinion of him altering my perception? Probably. However, I always try to disconnect my feelings for an actor before going into a film they star in.
Jodie Comer
If you’re a fan of the show Killing Eve, then you’re probably already a fan of Comer’s. Killing Eve is still on my list of shows to watch, and I haven’t watched her in anything else. Because of this, I can’t compare her performance in The Last Duel to her other work. But, I am able to say that I think she steals the spotlight from her cast members this time around. It couldn’t have been easy for her to play this role, and I think her talent really shines through.
The Film
When it comes to the film as a whole, I’m having a hard time giving it a rating. I’m not sure if it’s due to the nature of the film, or if it’s because I can’t really decide how I feel about it. Was it well done? Yes. Would I watch it again? Possibly.
There was a point when I had to pause the movie to make sure I was getting each person’s story straight. Other times, I would point out small details that made a certain version more realistic. Then, I felt bad for even trying to see who was lying. It made me think of the “Me Too” movement, and of both men’s and women’s rights. Of how no one should be too afraid to speak up, and how false accusations can have major consequences… it’s all a very heavy subject, but still very relevant.
Most of the time, if I enjoy a film, I would- without hesitation- watch it again. The fact that I had to stop and think about whether or not I would choose to watch The Last Duel again, says a lot in itself. I think I would want to watch it once again, just to watch it without worrying about what happens next.
I often watch films several times, in order to pick up on things I didn’t catch the first time. Once you know how a movie and story ends, you’re able to notice the more subtle, artistic aspects the more you watch it. It’s almost like the first time you watch it, you’re holding your breath until it’s over. The second time you watch it, you’re able to breath normally.
With The Last Duel, I believe I would give it a second viewing, but that’s it.
It felt like it dragged on a bit too long. Understandably, it takes awhile to get the three versions of the story told, but since it is so long, you’d hope to be left feeling satisfied at the end. Alternatively, you’re left feeling like you invested a good chunk of time into a film and then it’s simply over. I suppose you can say that the film doesn’t make you feel inspired- it is what it is.
The cast as an ensemble do a great job, and you do feel invested in the outcome of their characters. The storyline itself has you wondering who is telling the truth. I find the end to be… lackluster, I suppose. I will say this, though. I’m so glad that we were watching it in the comfort of our home because 1) it’s long and we could stretch our legs whenever we wanted and 2) we could pause it to make sure we were following the story properly.
Overall
In summary, at some points of the film, I was on the edge of my seat. Others? Well, I was checking to see how much time was left. Do I encourage everyone to go see it because it a one of those “must see” films? No. Sadly, I would not go out of my way to watch it.
I do respect the time and effort that was put in by the cast though! With all of their talent, and with every version of the events we see, we are pulled into different directions. I will say that it is hard not to get emotionally drawn into the story. You can’t help but become curious as to how it will end. Will the last duel have the proper last man standing? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out!
Did you watch The Last Duel? Did you like it more than I did? Or, would you classify it as a “watch it once” type of film?
Please let me know in the comments. As always, let me know if there’s another film I should watch, and thank you very much for reading! Until next time, happy movie watching!
