jotix100 It's easy to dismiss "The Last Time" because like most people that have commented about it keep comparing it to David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross", an adaptation of his play directed by James Foley. While this film presents a different situation, basically, it is easy to see why Michael Caleo's film will be likened to the other one. In fact, Mr. Caleo made his name writing for television. His claim to fame is tied to the success of "The Sopranos", for which he contributed.We are introduced to the sales department of what might be a corporation involved in computer systems, although nothing is made clear. The star salesman is Ted, a man with a filthy mouth and an aggressive attitude toward his prospective customers. He totally dominates the work force because he is a successful salesman who generates a lot of revenue for his company.In spite of his exterior, Ted is a lonely guy. We see him getting to his huge loft apartment, a sterile atmosphere. One thing he can't be blamed for is the amount of books in the place; he is a big question mark with no apparent relationship at the moment. Ted is given the task of breaking in a new salesman from Ohio, Jamie, who has been hired based on his previous performance.Ted obviously hates the assignment. There is no love lost between the men. Ted realizes Jamie doesn't have what it takes to make in New York, a tough territory, indeed. When Ted meets Belisa, Jamie's fiancé, he sees a gorgeous creature ready for the attention his groom to be doesn't give her. The two embark into a dangerous affair that could only lead to trouble, as we watch it play out.In the process, we discover that Ted was a professor of literature at Northwestern. He has turned into sales from the world of academia, quite a change for him, or anyone for that matter. Ted, in a way, sees Jamie as the person he is not. In fact, that is the reason he goes after Belisa. Having conquered her, he has nothing else to prove.The whole reason for watching "The Last Time" is its star, Michael Keaton. He runs away with the film. Model, turned actress, Amber Valletta, is a beautiful woman. She is believable as Belisa. As the addled salesman from Ohio, Brendan Fraser convinces us, but his presence can be irritating.

wthekiss2 My wife and I had just finished eating out. We were having a "date night" without the kids and picked this title up at the video store. Now, normally I like to do some research before I invest my time in a movie, but we were out by the store and I like Michael Keaton and Brendan Fraser, so I thought we were safe.I was, sad to say, very, very wrong.We snuggled up and began the movie, which is rated R. When the rating appeared at the beginning it mentioned "pervasive language." Okay...that was an understatement. There was so much cussing, particularly with the f-word, that it was totally distracting and basically just ridiculous.But this was Keaton and Fraser so we pressed on a bit. I think we got about 30 minutes into it and both agreed that this would be 'the last time' we just pick up a movie without reading a little about it. The dialogue, the acting, the story...the whole thing seemed to be a joke. I kept wondering...'how does a guy like Michael Keaton end up in a movie like this? Didn't he read the script? Or was he that desperate for work?' Anyway, we stopped the madness and popped in a movie we own, City of Angels. Okay...now that is a movie. What an incredible difference. Watching those movies back-to-back made The Last Time seem like a high school production.I am very disappointed. But it turns out I only threw away thirty minutes and $4.74, so it's not the end of the world.My respect for these two actors, again whom I generally like a lot, has diminished significantly.I would strongly recommend that you stay away from this movie.

bob-rutzel-1 Super Salesman Ted (Keaton) takes on a partner, Jamie (Fraser), to show him the ropes. Problems arise when Ted takes a liking to Belise (Valletta), Jamie's fiancée.The beginning of this movie is weird, weird, weird. You have no idea where it's going and only the star power holds you. Why weird? Because of the way Jamie acts and you almost feel like shutting this down, but the star power still holds you. Yes, Fraser does go a little Bad George of the Jungle and this is where you are thinking of watching Lassie reruns. But, still the star power must be worth something so you stick with it. And, in time, it works, sort of. When things go this bad in a movie one must look for clues to find a way out of the mess. And, yes there were clues along the way, oblique ones , but there nevertheless.I understand this movie went straight to DVD probably because the theaters would empty in 20 minutes and reputations would be ruined. When you get to the twist, maybe….. maybe it saves itself.Advice to Michael Keaton: go back and play Batman or some legitimate thriller as this was really a chick flick with men doing the chick flick work. Not good. As for Fraser, he did some good work at the end of the movie and it was refreshing to see him act like an adult for a change. Need to see more of this side of him. Yes, he had to follow the script when he played the dufus, but we were the ones who had to watch him being a dufus. Not good.Violence:No, Sex:Yes, Nudity: Yes, Language, Yes, non-stop

LaserLounge I usually agree pretty much with the IMDb-Ratings but in this case I find it really amazing that it only gets 6.3 points (08/07). Okay, sometimes when you don't expect too much (because of poor ratings you get surprised and tend to overrate it. I give it a perfect ten anyway. Why? This is a wonderfully drafted/crafted drama thriller with excellent acting (especially Michael Keaton). The twists are fantastic and so are the dialogue. (I envy the screenwriter and will keep track of the director's career, too!) It delivers a great insight into the everyday life of an (unsuccessful) salesman. If you loved Wall Street and have a soft spot for B movies, you will like this one even more than Wall Street. Watch it!