Directed by: Gavin Michael Booth
Written by: Gavin Michael Booth, Daved Wilkins
Cast: Daved Wilkins, Sarah Booth
Swift shot: If you’ve ever seen the Friends episode where Jason Alexander gets on a call with Lisa Kudrow’s Phoebe, you get a basic understanding of the tragic comedy of Last Call. Only, that was funny. This film is bleak and miserable. But, so is life, right?
The entire film is one long shot and basically one phone conversation shown through a split screen which evolves as the connections with the characters shifts.
When you consider the perfect timing that is required to pull that off, it’s a commendable feat of filmmaking genius. And the actors also had to rely on each other without the benefit of any direct visual references or physical cues.
As the film begins, we see a lonely man who is heading back to his empty apartment after a night hitting the bottle.
We also see a woman entering into what appears to be some kind of empty medical building late at night. It’s clear the action is happening in real-time and simultaneously.
As Beth (Booth) goes about her night, the phone rings, and we soon get the connection between the two characters, as Scott (Wilkins) reaches out to get some help on an incredibly painful night.
Thing is, Beth is not trained to deal with a call like this, because she is just a student and night janitor. Plus, the help line number now connects to a career center. But, once she realizes that Scott is in mortal danger, she knows she can’t just hang up.
Ill-equipped as she may be, she is still a human and a mother, and she does what she can to keep Scott alive.
But Scott doesn’t want to live.
The story that Scott tells is earnest and disturbing, as he lays the groundwork for why he feels he is truly a monster.
Beth tries her best to keep him on the phone. As she is speaking to him, she is frantically researching what to do and how to help Scott.
She fumbles around on the phone, as she occasionally “says the wrong thing” which escalates Scott’s despair.
While the film focuses on the terrible circumstances of each character, what gives it its power is the feeling of helplessness that Beth endures as she feels powerless to do anything to stop Scott from ending his life.
And the split screen, continuous shot adds to the tension, as much like Beth, you can’t simply wait for the next scene. There is no next scene. Once she’s taken that call, she is there until the conclusion. And so is the audience.
If you’ve ever had a friend kill himself, you know what it is like to imagine there was some magic combination of words, phrases, tears, anything that you could have said to stop them from making the final choice.
Last Call will have you engaged with both characters, as you get new details about Scott and to a lessor extent, Beth. You will be disturbed with the details of Scott’s tragic story of loss and failure.
You will want to reach through the screen and miracle a solution to Beth to help her keep Scott from giving up.
This is not an easy film to watch. It will leave you wondering the limits of your own humanity as you connect with Beth and Scott. It will remind you that sometimes nothing but pain comes from answering the phone. And it takes strength to answer.
