Last Words

Set in the year 2085, Last Words from 2020, colourfully visualized by director Jonathan Nossiter, presents a dystopian future where humans have lost everything that gives life its fervor and vibrance - civilisation, literature, art, companionship. The movie's principal narrative unfolds through the eyes of its protagonist, Kalipha Touray, a young man known only as 'the Boy', and stars notable figures in the industry such as Nick Nolte and Charlotte Rampling.

The post-apocalyptic world portrayed on screen is bleak, drab, and devoid of hope. Due to an unspecified universal calamity, the world has disintegrated, and almost all of mankind has succumbed. In this near-apolitical world, 'the Boy', the ultimate survivor, played by Kalipha Touray, lives in an industrial complex in Athens, Greece. His universe is limited to the decaying structure, and his only interaction is with Alpha 60, an antiquated computer, he uses to watch the last known footage of men and women living their day-to-day lives - a haunting reminiscence of a bygone era.

However, the Boy's somber existence takes a slight turn when he encounters the character played by Nick Nolte. Nolte, in one of his most compelling roles to date, portrays a weather-beaten, stoic individual known as 'the Old Man'. His encounter with the Boy fosters a unique bond between the two, their isolation and shared knowledge of the desolated world creating an unlikely companionship. This meeting triggers a profound change in the Boy's perception of his existence, and he starts embarking on explorations beyond his confined world.

In one such expedition, the Boy stumbles upon remnants of a cinema, triggering a seismic shift in his thoughts and emotions. Amidst the rubble, he discovers a camera, thus introducing the motifs of images, memory, and recording that consistently echo throughout the movie. The scenes where the Boy studies the undecipherable device, eventually understanding its function, beautifully encapsulates the movie's underlying theme of humanity's inherent thirst for wisdom and perceived permanence through images and impressions.

Amidst the larger narrative of survival and exploration, Charlotte Rampling enters the frame as the 'Storyteller'. Rampling's character is a poignant illustration of the last vestiges of literature and art, and the power they hold over man's imagination. She paradoxically harbingers both faith and doom, symbolizing the healing and destructive aspects of shared narratives. The Boy is deeply drawn towards her stories, binding him further to his newfound love for images and recordings.

This interaction stirs a yearning within the Boy to chronicle his own experiences. He takes it upon himself to record what might possibly be the 'last words' of mankind, hence the movie's title. Giving form to his realizations, hopes, fears, and dreams through this visual medium slowly becomes an inherent part of his survival process.

Visually, Last Words is nothing short of remarkable, employing raw, disquieting images to visually narrate the story. The cinematography echoes the emotions of the characters, evoking an unsettling sense of abandonment interspersed with fleeting moments of genuine affection, warmth, and human connection.

Character development is a significant component of this tale. While the physical landscape retains its grim, lifeless nature, it's the emotional landscape that fluctuates, evolves, and unravels with every interaction and discovery. It is a testament to the strength of character-building that, amidst such desolation, the viewer is absorbed in the journey of these individuals and their desperate quest to imprint their existence onto an indifferent world.

Simultaneously, Last Words poses prescient questions about civilization's dependence and obsession with recording experiences. It contemplates the dichotomy of how a tool meant to immortalize human experiences often distances humans from the very moments they attempt to capture.

Throughout its runtime, Last Words remains a testament to the human spirit's resilience and adaptability, drawing attention to our incessant need for connection, expression, and understanding in lone places. A speculative fable of the future, the film is a compelling exploration of survival, loss, memory, and the incredible significance of storytelling as a cornerstone of human culture.