The Last Face

I'm so confused right now because everywhere i looked is saw negative reviews but this was such a beautiful movie. it had amazing cinematography, impressive pictures and beautiful score and music. and for me this was one of charlize best performances. i loved it. How this has a 12% on Rotten Tomatoes is beyond me. Though this is not a great film, it is an important film that deserves to be seen. Sean Penn and Co. have the best intentions to make this but loose focus on the humanitarians themselves and leak into an overly dramatized romance. But when the film focuses on the humanitarians themselves, it is a gut wrenching story that I couldn't fathom how true it really is. We need to keep in our heads all that is happening in the Sudan as I find its terror is underscored and not getting its true attention. But the people over there helping are beyond us all, may we keep them all in our heads until the unrest ends. There is a line that really stuck with me on the refugee crisis that is said here that needs to be heard. She says: Dreams are not luxuries. They are essentials.

What might have been a heartfelt African tragedy falters under the heavy hand of Sean Penn who does here, what he once claimed Terrence Malick was guilty of: (with words to the effect... 'Creating something that looked good on paper but failing to transcribe it to film'. Shoddy hand held photography, poor composition, disjointed editing - with scenes that should have been short, left long, and visa-versa. Sound was another problem, people whisper - with it all being so low, as not to be heard. Eye rolling arty shots without purpose - a story that's on again-off again, with performers doing what they can but, being left all at sea by their overindulging director. A movie maker seemingly pushing his political views - at the expense of third world persons lost to the corruption within their own leaders and an uncaring world - surrounded by repugnant violence (some of the violence is realistically shocking) Mr Penn may (or may not) have his heart in the right place but tends to allow the shadowy edge of politics to blind his visionary vocation. At one point some innocent victims exclaim 'In the name of Jesus' - the people there to help them reply: 'what about in OUR name'? Maybe that's just the point - take Christ's unconditional love from these poor souls and they have exactly nothing! - So, what does the story teller dislike most, the love or the forgiveness? Some music choices on the sound track help to a small degree but sadly, self importance does not, a good movie make. Like other Penn movies this seems to run forever, needlessly.

As wonderful an actor(s) as Javier Bardem and Charlize Theron are, I couldn't get past the first 15 minutes. The film starts out excruciatingly slow and doesn't pick up. Sean Penn and Jay Cassidy, both veterans at their craft, had some kind of disconnect. The backdrop of "War Torn Africa" is never used for pacing and therefore the film drags like a turtle walking through mud. The trailer is beautiful, but the film doesn't live up to the trailer's hype.

There have been many, many awful movies through the ages, all critiqued as such here at IMDB and by professional critics too -But none that I remember was critiqued with such vitriol and, dare I say hatred, as this one. But it's not this movie that is bad... what's bad is for Americans and Europeans to switch to hateful anger against anything that shows them Africa for what we, westerners, have turned it into. Sean Penn's The Last Face, with South African Charlize Theron and Spaniard Javier Bardem is no Lawrence of Arabia meets Ryan's Daughter on the Bridge on the River Kwai, hence the eight stars instead of ten. But it is an absolutely competently-made, perfectly convincing, realistic, well-staged, intuitively photographed, honest mirror upon which to gaze at mere snippets of what we have done in Africa -so that we may then break the mirror in denial, yelling bad direction and infantile script. No, sorry, this is a good movie, medium rare instead of well-done and, medium rare is always best when it comes to tasting the blood of something we've killed. I am not surprised Theron gave such a great performance, as I hear she does care about the continent she's from and the issues there. It was great hearing her speak English, for once, with her real South African accent. Bardem brought the western Mediterranean vulnerable macho to the table. Excellent choice, both, for white-western Doctors in the African savage civil wars. What did surprise me was that an American actor like Sean Penn should have such a profound understanding of what Americans don't see and would have the directorial skill to be subtle about holding our heads to look at it whether we like it or not. Do Sean a favor and keep the volume on high so you can hear what they're whispering to each other at night, just so you can jump out of your seat at the first very loud burst of machine gun fire and explosives. The love story did not look to me like a "movie prerequisite", unfitting to the subject matter. It felt completely natural and real, and the narration would have felt false without it: it was needed. Both doctors needed it in order to survive what they were witnessing on a daily basis for years. And it was honest. Sure, sure, the lines were not Shakespeare, but real people don't speak like poet laureates or award-winning script writers in real life. Oh, and the atrocities were not overdone, or "refugee *" like someone called it: The imagery and actions were still pretty tame and movie-rating accessible compared to what's really going on in Sierra Leone and South Sudan. I recommend this as great movie to watch and I am wondering whether I should stop short of calling it an Important movie. Nope, I think it may well be an important one.

A very graphic depiction of the horrors of war in Africa and a love story. The acting is beyond reproach; which allows for the lack of depth to the plot. The plot; that of a love affair between two field doctors who struggle with their job (vocation) and their feelings for each other. The cinematography is excellent; coupled with the sound track makes for a emotional experience. I watched it back to back 2x the same evening.

This is the best movie I've ever seen. I do not watch comedies or romantic cheap movies. I like the movies which tells the truth and about philosophy, sociology, world, etc. This is a film which gives the message with philosophy and shows sociological problems about world. Everyday thousands of people dies for the people who lives in luxury! Some people lives a very poor life for making more rich the richest people in the world! This movie says the truth! Just watch it and make your decision your self. This movie is the best movie I've ever seen. I say it again because it shows the truth!

Penn shows African reality. This film has nothing to do with dominating or discriminating African people, but shows the insanity of all wars. I was moved, angered and surprised by the marvelous acting in this film. Charlize Theron as well as Javier Bardem play more than convincing. Furthermore I could not discover any weak-played other parts.The film really shows the difference in being in the field or being a manager far from where it all takes place. At the same it shows the despondency that falls on you not having a solution in our economics-based society. Who says Penn as a director failed in this film, should clean his glasses and keep on taking part in the Penn-bashing gild of right wing puppets

This is a thought-provoking and beautifully dramatic film , packing a stirring love story , though slowly paced and paying tribute to the sacrificed doctors working in the African countries . A chief of an international aid agency in Africa called Wren (Charlize Theron) runs the International Council in Geneva , Switzerland , coordinating the international activities common to the operational centres , as well as raising international awareness of potential humanitarian disasters . Then , Wren arrives in Africa and meets a relief aid doctor Miguel Leon (Javier Bardem) who belongs to ¨Médecins Sans Frontières¨ (MSF , vast majority of staff are volunteers) , also known as ¨Doctors Without Borders¨ and both of whom fall in love . The doctor Wren joins a group of obstinate doctors (Adèle Exarchopoulos , Jared Harris , Jean Reno , Denise Newman) who help unfortunate and distressed African people and undergo risked operations to wounded townsfolk . Meanwhile , in Monrovia , Liberia , takes place a state coup , and then they get together to flee from the capital to Sierra Leona . They embark in a dangerous journey which will take various countries risking his own life and pursued by nasty guerrillas . Intelligent drama with plenty of emotion , moving scenes and sensational performances . This is a deliberately paced flick , a satisfying journey of love , justice and self-discovery amidst political/social revolutions . It displays great feeling , thrills , and provoking melodrama in which a couple takes on strong choices surrounding humanitarianism and tough lives through civil unrest . This brooding flick sometimes results to be slow-moving , relying heavily on the long love affair and both of them compliment each other with their destine to help the unfortunate natives of African countries . Being developed in sensibility and intelligence , here are narrated ethic , moral issues with great sense of ductility and in ¨Terence Malick¨ style . As the stubborn doctors expand accessibility to medical care across national boundaries and irrespective of race , religion , creed or political affiliation . Cast is frankly good and giving top-notch interpretations . As the Spanish Javier Bardem providing an awesome acting , he grants his character a self-righteous drive that is made poignant for her determination and sheer will . Very magnetic performance by Charlize Theron as member of an aid agency directing efforts to provide medical care in acute crises , she gives the right balance of self-righteousness which makes her performance more real , she also creates her character human , heart and determination with her role , not a stereotype . The movie contains thrilling and violent scenes like the breathtaking battle when the military revolutionaries going into the capital Monrovia in blood and fire , as well as rampage , ravage and the indiscriminate massacres carried out by the extremely violent revolutionary guerrillas . And including gory scenes , such as grisly killings in cold blood and an astonishing surgical Cesarian . Beautiful , haunting and mesmerizing cinematography by Barry Ackroyd . Perceptible , and at times rousing musical score by the prestigious composer Hans Zimmer , including some really sensitive songs in African sounds . The motion picture was professionally -though in complex narrative filled with flashbacks- directed by Sean Penn . Here Penn tells an African story full of death and violence and presents it with impressive truth , though being both , overlong and touching . Sean Penn tops his last directional effort with an intense drama that is moving , scary and down right forthright . This "The Last Face" (2016) will appeal to Javier Bardem and Charlize Theron fans .

As an African I found the movie a vivid display of the harshness and splendour of this abused continent. It highlighted the unselfish sacrifice that people make to alleviate the suffering of ordinary people and the heartache that so often follows in so many ways. I also found this to be one of Charlie Theron's most honest performances.

The Last Face-720P