As the 2014 Dallas International Film Festival was winding down, I was looking for one last viewing pleasure before the sun was ready to set. I had just finished up a rather enjoyable hour or so on The Red Carpet over in Oak Cliff for the debut screening of “The Starck Club” and was in a hurry to be seated for what appeared to be little more than just another biopic about a film star from the age of The Golden Era. What I actually encountered was a strongly-executed “forbidden fruit” romance story, much like the one mentioned several times IN the movie(Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita”), with a sketchy and herky-jerky opening. It became clear to me that the makers of this film were more than eager to get past the “getting to know you” sequence of the movie and dig into the REAL meat of the pie, and so they did.
It is interesting to note that there are, in fact, two director credits for “The Last of Robin Hood.” One is a relative unknown(Richard Glatzer) and the other, Wash West, is a man with several interchangeable names and a writing and directing list which might raise more than a few eyebrows. I shall sum up that prediction with just one film that exists under the same name he used to direct THIS one: “Gay Republicans.” For further review of director Wash West, please take a gander on either Wikipedia or IMDB. It is a matter of intrigue, to say the least, but allow me to get back to the subject on hand.
Once “The Last of Robin Hood” whisks us away to the beginning of the story, we find three major characters, all of which are very dynamic and pliable, either due to the progression or regression OF that character or just simply the exposure of who that person truly is. Either way, the development or unveiling of each one is highly engaging and, ultimately, tragic. While most people would openly admit that the number one reason they attend a movie screening is to take a break from their reality, some films simply do not seek to reach the audience with that approach.
While I have grown accustomed to the “damsel in distress” type-casting for Dakota Fanning(“The Twilight Saga”), as Beverly Aadland, she has managed to grow on myself and others like a birth mark simply being renamed as a beauty mark. I believe that most actors and actresses would like to avoid being a predictable player in their respective roles, but there also comes a time when it is acceptable to embrace who you ARE as an actor or actress and it would seem that Fanning has done so, at least for the time being. Beverly is a true-life victim of circumstance, which we can all identify with in some regard, and her journey is more bittersweet than the others in the story. We watch on as a naïve, impressionable girl rapidly becomes a fall-down drunk and precocious young woman with a clouded gaze and a seemingly unavoidable fate as a protégé to the one she gave her life to at such an early age. Susan Sarandon(“The Big Wedding”) as Florence Aadland, on the other hand, merits little sympathy, especially when the close of the story unfolds.
What is a mother to do, right? When we ask this question, it typically has no answer, for it is a rhetorical question. Truly, life is much more complicated than we would prefer it to be, but quite often, the right choice, at least on paper, is very easy to see. Florence consistently wrestles with guilt and withdrawal as the mother of a starry-eyed child, but as you watch the movie, try and keep track of precisely how many times she allowed things to happen and how many times she really learned from her past decisions, for the better. Her fate is neither bitter, nor sweet, but more difficult to sum up than you might realize. The better question to ask than the one you cannot answer is actually more on the hypothetical side of things, which is quite the opposite. Instead of NO answer, there are multiple ones.
So why would I wait until now to discuss the role of the person this movie was named after? Perhaps it is only natural to give him the attention when it is due. After all, he is the underlying influence of all those around him throughout the story. I can only wonder if the real Errol Flynn was the same way. Celebrities have a way of charming their way into our lives for a reason. It takes a special kind of person to fulfill ANY lifestyle we can possibly conjure up, but the life of somebody famous or, even infamous, is unique and often times tragic. Much like you would imagine, the outcome is as predictable as the sun rising and the sun setting, but in this case, it is not at all a spoiler, for you can sense that everyone, including Flynn himself, knows what is going to happen. Kevin Kline(“The Conspirator”) is no less than extraordinary, capturing the essence of Errol Flynn both physically and emotionally. There is something awe-inspiring in his eyes, as the twinkle begins with a great shimmer and slowly but surely fades into nothing but a watery barricade, ready to burst at the seams.
I would advise you to not abandon your initial reactions to what you see in the story, from beginning to end, but I would equally advise that you allow yourself to go on this journey with the three primary characters and feel the events as they unfold, as THEY do. “The Last of Robin Hood” might not warrant the most triumphant of feedback in the coming weeks or months. The only noticeable name in the small pool of producers is Christine Vachon and even she is only known well in limited circles. The distribution of Samuel Goldwyn Films(“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”) might be a positive sign, but certain stories just do not resonate as clearly and as loudly with the public as others do and there is simply no way of getting around that with ANY film. Think of “The Last of Robin Hood” as a life imitating art kind of story, with the art being one of the most controversial tales of the 20th century and think of just how successful a movie like that could really be.
With all that being said, in an effort to deliver a dose of reality, as a film, “The Last of Robin Hood” is worth the resounding applause it received when the lights came up for the ending credits.
Directors: Richard Glatzer, Wash West
Producers: Christine Vachon, Declan Baldwin, Pamela Koffler
Screenwriters: Richard Glatzer, Wash West
Starring: Kevin Kline, Dakota Fanning, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Kane as Ronnie Shedlo, Max Casella as Stanley Kubrick, Sean Flynn(grandson to Errol Flynn) as Grip, Bryan Batt as Orry Kelly, Jane McNeill as Cynthia Gould, Judd Lormand as Reporter
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Release: September 6th, 2013(Toronto International Film Festival)
