The Last One for the Road starts with a seemingly simple premise: two broke fifty something friends with a "one last drink” philosophy meet a shy architecture student by chance and embark on an unexpected road trip with him. What unfolds is a film that initially feels modest but grows into something resonant: a reflection on youth, ageing and intergenerational curiosity that stays with you long after the end credits have rolled.
At its heart, The Last One for the Road is a road movie in its purest form, less interested in the destination than in what happens along the way. Carlobianchi (Sergio Romano) and Doriano (Pierpaolo Capovilla) are a pair of middle-aged drinkers who have spent years chasing the next drink more than the next achievement and with few if any ambition to change their lives. Their encounter with Giulio (Filippo Scotti), a reserved. ambitious student having just suffered a heartbreak, provides the film’s emotional core. Together, these three forge an unlikely bond that is as precious as it is fleeting, borne out of genuine curiosity for each others.
Sossai’s direction leans into a relaxed pace, invoking comparisons to both Aki Kaurismäki for its acute depiction of his very human characters, combined with a certain kind of Italian melancholy that is very specific to the northern part of the country. This is not a road movie filled with dramatic set pieces; rather, its charm lies in the straggle of roadside bars, the slow passage of landscapes, and the natural camaraderie that emerges over shared drinks and banter. It refuses big emotional arcs and while the narrative might feel episodic at times as the group wanders from one encounter to another, the script skilfully evokes that suspended moment in time and in their lives with that seemingly aimlessness journey a welcome respite into their routine, allowing for an overdue introspection.
The film’s intergenerational dynamic is what ultimately gives it its soul. There’s a tenderness to this trio’s exchange that feels sorely needed in our times, when a certain kind of cinema (and social media!) often insists on intergenerational conflict and identity politics rather than simple human connections. In its humility indeed, The Last One for the Road reminds us that unlikely friendships can be authentic and heartfelt no matter how short-lived.
Sergio Romano and Pierpaolo Capovilla embody the wistful humour that makes their characters feel lived-in, while Flilippo Scotti offers a grounded counterbalance that softens the film’s wistful tendencies without undermining its emotional core. There is a chemistry between them three that feels effortless and real. The gentle humanism of The Last One for the Road feels almost radical in that respect and a balm against more cynically and loudly emotional films.
Review by Laurent de Alberti
Star rating: ★★★★☆
Official Selection, Un Certain Regard
The Last One for the Road. Directed by Francesco Sossai. Starring Sergio Romano, Pierpaolo Capovilla, Filippo Scotti...
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