Fancying himself a poet ripe for discovery, self-absorbed Calvin Wizzig (Adam Nee) moves to New York City confident he’ll be published and quickly make his mark on the world as one of the great literary geniuses of the twenty-first century. This is lofty dreaming, considering that his entire body of work consists of two short poems buried in the scribbled pages of a small note pad. But why let reality get in the way when the fantasy is so rich? But, like a self-infatuated modern-day Candide, Calvin is finding that the world would rather smack him upside the head than give into his dreams. Running parallel to Calvin’s ever increasing disillusionment of becoming a poet legend is the bloated fantasy that he develops for a woman he meets oh-so-briefly on the subway. Obsession with finding “the girl on the train” becomes both his raison d’etre and a distraction from a real world that isn’t as accommodating as his fantasies. It also threatens to undermine any chances he might have to really make some of his dreams come true. Calvin has a nasty habit of constantly bypassing real opportunities for imaginary ones. Some of the characters who contribute to the demise of Calvin Wizzig on his dizzy journey include: Alexander Scarvey (James Urbianak), a real, actual accomplished poet; Scarvey's manipulative femme fatal girlfriend Mudi (model Jane Bradbury); and the eccentric, aspiring actress Christy Tipilton (model Shalom Harlow), who has spent the past five years impersonating a cat, because she plays one in a play. No, not that play. The Last Romantic is a gorgeously shot (by brother Aaron) production, possibly pushing DV to some new heights. It’s also a compelling story, demonstrating how self-delusion can lead to self-realization.
Interview with Aaron and Adam Nee about The Last RomanticAaron sits down with Aaron and Adam Nee to discuss their film The Last Romantic
(11/12/2006 Starz Denver Film Festival)
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