The Last Gentleman - DVD

Film: Shy Louis (Paul Dano) comes to New York with the dream of becoming a writer. But already the search for an apartment and a job turns out to be extremely difficult. With the eccentric and abandoned by success playwright Henry (Kevin Kline) Louis finds his new domicile. The run-down apartment is only the least of his problems, as Henry's idiosyncratic house rules and his sometimes choleric behavior make life difficult for the young man. But when he gets a job at a New York magazine and falls head over heels in love with his colleague Mary (Katie Holmes), new hope germinates in the hopeless romantic. With the help of Henry, who makes his living as a male escort for wealthy New York widows, he plans to learn enough confidence and etiquette to court Mary. But Louis still has a secret that keeps getting in the way of his efforts to have a normal relationship.

With American Splendor, directing duo Shari Springer and Robert Pulcini already revealed a penchant for quirky characters and whimsical comedy. After their last film, Nanny Diaries, was more mainstream, things get a lot quirkier again in The Last Gentleman, the film adaptation of the novel Henry and Louis by Jonathan Ames. On the one hand, there is Louis, who is constantly accompanied by a narrator's voice, loses himself in daydreams of the great romance of old novels and has a particular weakness for women's clothes. On the other side the eccentric Henry, who can't start the day without his very special dance exercises, detests any form of sexual contact and gives his young protege some important tips on how to survive as a true gentleman. For instance, the shy up-and-coming writer learns how to pee in the street without being noticed and without having to take off his coat. Kevin Kline is just great as an aging escort with a penchant for choleric tantrums. Watching him scrounge his way through life while always maintaining his composure is really a lot of fun.

Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine), who catapulted himself into the premier league of Hollywood young stars with his performance in There Will Be Blood, can't compete with Kline's eccentric power, though. The shyness of Louis and his insecurity about his sexual orientation are played a bit too exaggerated by Dano. So in some scenes Louis doesn't become a sympathetic outsider, but an almost unpleasant oddball. Fortunately, there are also enough moments in which Dano's performance is convincing, so that Henry and Louis become a very unequal and therefore extremely entertaining team. Also wonderful is John C. Reilly in a small supporting role as Henry's oddball neighbor. Granted, the big gag surrounding his character isn't exactly new, but it's still very funny. Katie Holmes remains rather pale amidst the powerful ensemble, but also has a very thankless role to play.

The Last Gentleman is an odd little film. At times comedy, at times grotesque, then drama, at times straight out funny, then more hiddenly whimsical, this film is hard to pigeonhole. You should have a soft spot for American independent comedies of the more quirky kind to enjoy this one. Well acted, filled with partly very clever dialogues, but also always filled with all kinds of weird moments, this movie definitely leaves an impression. Whether this will be positive for all viewers, however, may be doubted. Therefore, if you like to be entertained off the beaten track, you should definitely take a look at this movie - even if it's just to watch Kevin Kline doing dance contortions!

Picture + Sound: Since only a data-reduced press sample was available for the test, no rating can be given here about the picture and sound quality of the DVD.

Extras: The bonus material was also not available on the press and can therefore also not be evaluated. Announced for the purchase variant, however, are an audio commentary, featurettes and the trailer for the film.

Conclusion: The Last Gentleman is a somewhat grotesque comedy that can be recommended to lovers of American independent cinema, if only because of the performances of Kevin Kline and John C. Reilly in his small supporting role. Certainly not a film for fans of mainstream entertainment, but if you like things a little more whimsical, this is the film for you. Recommendable

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp