-Written by Kyle Bain.
Recently diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, Noah’s (Adam Kiss) wife, Juliet (Jessi Clayton), leaves him. A struggling writer, Noah now looks to get his affairs in order before it’s too late. My Last Words follows Noah as he embarks on a journey of self discovery, meeting the woman that may just change his life.
Noah’s introduction by way of his own voice is brilliant, as his voice fills the room and reels viewers in. It’s booming, and it feels that Writer-Director Kiss leans heavily into this, using it to the film’s advantage at every possible moment. Much of My Last Words’ charm stems from Noah, from his voice, and from his overall demeanor.
The film is a bit all over the place. Told through the eyes of Noah (and narrated by Noah), he seems to struggle to figure out where to start in his story, so he bounces around from place to place in a fractured fashion. My Last Words feels organic in this way, inherently human as a result of Noah’s inability to think straight. By the end of the film things have become linear, and while it does sort of lose a bit of its humanlike luster, I feel that the narrative remains accessible and interesting.
My Last Words is a strange film, filled with strange dialogue, quirky characters, and somewhat bizarre scenarios–but I feel that it works in favor of this production. It feels that nearly everything is done intentionally, and that Kiss is well aware of the type of film that he’s created here (and this sentiment is confirmed by the note he leaves to his audience at the conclusion of My Last Words). Accepting the quirkiness of his film as a whole, and understanding how to strengthen this aspect of his film is quite charming, but even more than that it’s a sign of expertise. There are moments in which the film is overacted, and others when it’s underacted–meaning that on a multitude of occasions I felt that emotion didn’t reach viewers the way that it should have. However, My Last Words continued to charm in this way, unwavering in its attempt to reach viewers and create something genuine. I became increasingly intrigued by the film’s shortcomings, the things that ultimately worked in its favor.
As a fan of classic literature, the multitude of allusions to some of the world’s most popular works certainly tickled my fancy, gave me a chuckle from time to time, and ultimately provided me another reason to enjoy My Last Words.
Charming is the word that constantly comes to mind when thinking of My Last Words. There are aspects of the narrative that are a tad wonky, possibly even unbelievable, but the humanlike nature of them lends themselves to the charm of the film. Honestly, Kiss isn’t the strongest actor–but the tone and cadence of his voice (even if the dialogue is sometimes robotic) are, again, charming. There’s something about the way he presents himself in this stoic introvertive fashion that really appealed to me. He is the cornerstone of My Last Words, having artistic control over every aspect of his film. That’s clear, and I think it helps to create an entertaining product.
Written & Directed by Adam Kiss.
Starring Adam Kiss, Nicole Benoit, Jessi Clayton, Christina Kiss, Adam Kiss, Matt Surges, etc.
6.5/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE
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