SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END
R
101 Minutes
Director: Lorene Scafaria
Writer: Lorene Scafaria (screenplay)
Stars: Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Melanie Lynskey 
Cast
Steve Carell ... Dodge
Keira Knightley ... Penny
Nancy Carell ... Linda
Martin Sheen ... Frank (Dodge's Father)
Rob Huebel ... Jeremy
Rob Corddry ... Warren
Patton Oswalt ... Roache
My only friend
The End
(and)
...the end is always near
-JIM MORRISON
Kirk Cameron warned us about this in that LEFT BEHIND thing. I believe it was THE GROWING PAINS MOVIE. The overall message was cryptic, but there's something about legalizing gay marriage and/or Alan Thicke causing the rapture.
In a fake apocalypse, people would kill one another before anyone realized it was a hoax, by that point, it's no longer a fake apocalypse.
SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END tells a familiar story in a different way, without a fictional black president.
There's that cliché about living each day like it's your last. Well, in this movie, we get to see what everyone does with their last day. I think I would beat the elderly with baby seals, I mean, why not? There is no interfering with this apocalypse. Because in the movie world, only Morgan Freeman can play God.
The filmmaker thought it best not to get caught up with the details in this doomsday movie. The goal here was to make a thoughtful, dramatic film without making it too somber or 'sciency'.
Penny is a non-irritating, female Russell Brand. I don't know what Penny does exactly. I probably spaced out during that part of the movie.
Dodge is a mildly depressed, insurance salesman. He lives an exciting life, with a loving wife, and lots of wonderful friends...oh, I meant the opposite of that last sentence. All he has is a lifetime of regret, which includes a retirement fund that he'll never get to give to his children, after dying of natural causes.
The romance, and the genuine chemistry between Dodge and Penny, were enough to keep the film going.
Steve Carell has made some awful movies, and some good ones, but mostly he's done a bunch okay movies. This is slightly better than okay. Just to clarify, that means good, but not great. But to his credit, at least he knew THE OFFICE should have ended two seasons ago.
The screenwriter was trying to make a point. Perhaps all human endeavors are pointless, I mean if you really think about it; you shouldn't have read this movie review.
Final Verdict: 80 out of 100
