With a cast that features some of England's best acting talent, it seems unlikely — if not impossible — that "Last Orders" could have gone completely awry.
Not that this character drama gets everything right; its flawed story structure relies heavily on one of the most overused clichs in film — flashbacks, and there are plenty of them. As a consequence, this meditation on family relationships and friendship never stays in one place long enough to have the impact it should.
Still, there's no denying how nice it is to see veteran actors Bob Hoskins, Michael Caine and Helen Mirren interacting with each other on screen. In fact, they — and the rest of the cast — practically drag the film to a higher level just by taking part.
"Last Orders" is based on Graham Swift's Booker Prize-winning novel about three friends — gambler Ray, a k a "Lucky" (Hoskins), retired boxer Lenny (David Hemmings) and undertaker Vic (Tom Courtenay) — who reunite for a wake of sorts.
Actually, they're planning to scatter the ashes of their best friend, London butcher Jack (Caine), into the ocean. Their driver is Jack's son, Vince (Ray Winstone), who has his own reasons for going.
In the meantime, Jack's widow, Amy (Mirren), is saying her goodbyes in different ways — and not just to Jack, but to her oldest child, whose mental impairment keeps her from acknowledging the presence of her mother.
Again, the story is all over the place, and all over several different time periods — such as sequences showing Jack and Lucky's World War II experiences, Vince's childhood and even Jack and Amy's courtship.
Infuriatingly, the film cuts away just as these scenes seem to be going somewhere, and the pacing is a bit slow. However, to be fair to director/screenwriter Fred Schepisi, it would have been tough to squeeze in all this material otherwise.
Besides, the real draw is the cast. Caine is characteristically charming, though much of his performance is given from his character's deathbed, while there are surprising sparks between Hoskins and Mirren.
Also, it should be noted that the actor who plays the young version of Jack, British stage performer J.J. Feild, not only bears an astonishing resemblance to Jude Law, but also to the "Alfie"-period Caine.
"Last Orders" is rated R for occasional use of profanity and crude slang terms (most of the latter being very British), violence (a fistfight and war violence, mostly overheard), female and brief male partial nudity and brief, simulated sex. Running time: 109 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com