''Seeking a Friend for the End of the World'' A story about unlikely situation in which unlikely romance is possible.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)     8/10  

Lorene Scafaria's directorial debut. As a debut film very promising. A good storyteller. However, maybe better story teller(she is the writer as well) than director but this is not the film to determine that , yet.

It's not like there are lack of romantic comedies and dramas coming from Hollywood. However this one is different. When I heard about it the concept seemed interesting. The films ending is sorta new( lately though, it seems that we have realized that in case of apocalypse there wont be a bunch of heroes who will save the day...). There are more and more films that try to examine and speculate on the idea of how we humans will interact in case of inevitable doom. However this one is different because it is not dark, heavy or overly depressive but its not comedy as well its something in between all that.

Of course when I saw who is performing the main role: Steve Carell, I was sure this is not going to be a serious movie, although, somewhere deep down , I wondered , maybe this is his "lets try being serious" role. And well it was. It was serious. Steve's character was serious, calm and peaceful, one would say accepting. When in opposite Keira Knightley played a chaotic, emotional, free spirited character. I must admit, it seemed that Carell was better at his role than Knightley, but then again, Knightleys character was more complicated. I don't agree what a lot of people are saying about their collaboration and the films romance : that they could not believe the romance (due to characters and actors being too unlikely to actually fall in love) thus they could not properly enjoy the film and get emotionally involved. I ,however, think this film skillfully made you believe that it is possible, or maybe I believed them because I believe inexplicable love. The whole story is about unlikely romance in an unlikely situation. And in this unlikely but happening situation, this unlikely romance springs up.  It shows the end of the world sad, but romantically beautiful as well.

This film had a lot of moments and time for the viewer to think about his choices and life , and what would he do if he knew the end is inevitable. Would you be like Dodge( the main character) or Linda(his wife that run away) or Penny(other main character, the sad, guilt ridden but optimistic(yeah controversial)person) or Warren(all hopes lost so who gives a shit guy) or Diane( I can and will do anything I want) or the Trucker(the end is inevitable , but I will make my own choice when to die) or 

Chipper Host / Darcy( crazy , happy weed smoking ,orgy ,cafe shop waiter guy)  or Officer Wally Johnson( the guy who does not stop working and obey the law(is the law) even in the wake of an apocalypse)

 or Speck( the guy who is prepared to live through it ,  in an underground basement and ready to restart the world) or maybe you already are like  the Cell-mate and are calm , because you have always known that the end is near?
 Film most definitely showed all aspect of the end of the world situation( the most likely ones) however it did not linger on them too much ,as to not make the viewer feel somehow threatened or disturbed by all that horrible and wrong things, instead it  centered around the romance and beautiful things. Watch this film if you want to go out of the cinema with good, positive feelings , but chose Melancholia if you want to be depressively beaten and overthrown by negative feelings. These both films can be compared as they both have the same concept( inevitable end of the world) , but takes complete opposite approach and mood.
It makes you think and wonder, but not about the awful end of all things thing but about your loved ones and things that you care about, or should care about. 
Its very moving. 
8 for the high emotional quality of the film. Nothing to really say about cinematography or style. This film is purely story (romance) driven.