Viewed – 12 January 2013  DVD

Steve Carell (40 Year Old Virgin) plays Dodge, an easy going insurance salesman whose wife runs out on him during the run up to a meteorite hitting the planet.  As chaos erupts and everyone starts making their final arrangements, Dodge stumbles upon Penny (Keira Knightley) an equally unlucky in love British girl.  Soon they are taking to the road in hope of being with those that they love.

This is a likable romantic comedy that suffers from a bit of personality disorder.  The first half seemed quite broad comedy, with a few crude gags and bizarre characters.  Then it changed, got more serious and meaningful, and became all the better for it.  The scripts is quite sharp with some good lines (“I want you to be my last”), and the performances are decent with Knightley, usually annoying, proving quite charming for a change.  Also the concept is believably done … with some good observations, saying much on how we really might act during an apocalypse.

As a refreshing take on end of the world movies this proved interesting and at times quite touching, but seemed a bit too slight overall to really shine. Still, a passable night’s viewing.

Verdict:  3 /5

Related articles

• Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) (noeltanti.com)
• Keira Knightley drawn to dark roles (bigpondnews.com)