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Last Rites (1988)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 12/16

LastRites
12/16: If Daphne Zuniga looks familiar to you, it's because she played Princess Vespa in Spaceballs.

Anyway, a lot of people didn't like Last Rites, which was a massive box-office failure in 1988, but I've enjoyed it. The neo-noir thriller has style and plenty of substance.

Any time Tom Berenger stars in a film, it's bound to be entertaining. He's always been a good, handsome actor and can make a mediocre picture better with his presence. That's the case with Last Rites which is Donald Bellisario's only cinematic film (he's famous for the creation of outstanding TV shows such as Magnum, P.I., Airwolf, and Quantum Leap).

The story is fun, but it has a lot of logic problems. Tom Berenger's character, Michael, sure doesn't act like a priest, and he breaks many fundamental rules while on the job. I like it when he wears an expensive-looking tan cashmere jacket with a white scarf. It's certainly fancy for a priest. Why did he and Angela go to Mexico? What was the purpose over there? Why couldn't they resolve their problems in New York City? Regardless, there are many good-looking scenes in Mexico.

The ambush scene is ridiculous. So, this guy who "spray-paints" the windows in a perfect line with his Uzi yet misses Tom Berenger? I'm sure I saw a couple of bullets striking the priest in the abdomen, but he miraculously survives. While at that, the priest runs after him with a cigarette still in his right hand. It's a strange moment, indeed.

Why didn't Zena finish the job at the beginning? Whenever she uses the silencer to assassinate people, gunshots can be heard. Are they sure the priest and Zena are brother and sister? There's a moment that implies they slept together. Did something happen between them that caused Michael to become a priest at age 15 out of shame? When Angela began to tell the priest what's happening, why did he wait so long before pressing her for more answers? At least, the ending, which is hard to believe, is a pleasant surprise and puts the film into perspective.

All in all, don't believe the critics when they called Last Rites the worst film of 1988; it's actually a decent murder mystery thriller with some logic flaws.