Patrick (McKellar) is celebrating Christmas with his family. The only problem is it's not really Christmas. The world is about to end with an exploding sun, and there is only 6 hours till midnight. His mother and father want Patrick to spend the final hours with them, but he plans to spend those hours at home alone. His sister (Polley) plans to spend them with her boyfriend at a huge outdoor party. On his way home, he meets Sandra (Oh) whose car was overturned by an angry mob, who needs some way to get home to see her husband. She and Patrick hit the road and eventually obtain a car from a friend of Patrick.
Meanwhile, Craig (Rennie) has decided to spend his remaining hours bedding as many women as he can. One of them is his old French teacher Mrs. Carlton (Bujold), who doesn't seem to have anyone else with whom to spend her last moments. A gas company executive spends his last hours phoning customers assuring them their gas will flow until the end, and then returns home to ice cream and chardonnay. Meanwhile, Sandra is caught in a traffic jam, leaves the car, and returns to end it all with Patrick at his apartment.
As you can see, the plot is pretty thin. But the plot is not really the focus. Character is. The movie presents how people make choices not just for their last hours, but throughout their life. Unlike American films on the topic, there are no exposions, meteor showers or feverish attempts to save themselves. The characters accept their fate, and struggle to spend their last hours in a meaningful way. Craig attempts to fulfill all his sexual fantasies in his last couple of months. Patrick chooses to end things alone because of an event in his past, but eventually appreciates ending it all with Sandra. This thoughtful approach causes us to consider what we might do in our final hours, if we knew when they were. We evaluate what is important in our life, and might ask ourselves why we aren't doing what's important now.
The film is set in Toronto, and there is no attempt to hide the fact. North York, Mel Lastman Square and other locales are mentioned directly. The soundtrack uses several 70's Canadian rock classics, including The Guess Who and Edward Bear, and includes a scene with Randy Bachman teaching hundreds of guitarists the chords to Takin' Care of Business. The film moves at an unhurried pace, sometimes too slow. The style of the film is not unlike that of Atom Egoyan, especially that of Exotica in which McKellar starred. The deceptively bland characters here all have hidden traits and feelings that are slowly revealed as the film progresses. The acting is low-key, with an attempt to be natural and not overly dramatic. Sandra Oh is exceptional, and quite moving in her attempt to locate her husband, and then eventually connect with Patrick. Cronenberg is bang on as the stereotypical corporate drone who wastes his last hours politely phoning customers. Last Night is a film for those who wish to see a thoughtful look at what is important in life, and what gives it meaning.
