‘4:44 Last Day on Earth’ is a study in carnal lust, mortality and Chinese takeout

Abel Ferrara’s provocative new feature, 4:44 Last Day on Earth, is an elongated scene stretched to feature-film length. That’s not say the end-of-the-world drama feels thin on details. The movie values its simplicity and methodical progression. As an experimental cinematic exercise, it achieves a stirring sense of engagement with the audience.

Willem Dafoe and Shanyn Leigh play Cisco and Skye, a couple that has decided to face the pending apocalypse together, alone in their New York City apartment. They dance, make love, watch television, order Chinese food and talk to loved ones through Skype. In other words, they do almost exactly what one would expect in such a time of turmoil.

Few details emerge on exactly what’s happening outside in the real world. There’s mention of the global-warming experts and their theories proving true, but Ferrara’s film, much like last year’s Another Earth and Melancholia, isn’t interested in the science or specific details on the cataclysm. The 85-minute movie wants to get closer to these people facing their finality. What happens under such distress? Can human connection remain in such a difficult situation? What happens to emotions when there’s a time limit on life?

Dafoe and Leigh are very giving as actors. They break each other down and build each other up again. They capture raw performances — and in terms of one particular graphic sex scene, the performances are very raw. Cisco and Skye, despite their movie-sounding names, are real people, brought together by circumstances and genuine love. He’s older and she’s much younger, but they have a enjoy each other’s company and touch.

Their journey to the final hours (the world is said to end at 4:44 the following morning) is highlighted by a balancing act between despair and joy. Skye finds herself artistically satisfied with a new painting, while Cisco tries to reconnect with his brother and an old drug dealer. Although we only spend 85 minutes with these two characters, we learn so much about their strengths and fragility.

Ferrara’s script doesn’t feel like the written word. Many of the scenes have the definitive sense of improvisation, which is further credit to the actors. Every conversation feels organic, with interruptions, meanderings and truisms. Although the apocalypse could certainly spark poetry in the minds of most screenwriters, Ferrara keeps his characters grounded in reality. There’s one point where they play some rock music and start dancing. Why not? The world is about to end.

There will be many critics of the film and its experimental nature. It takes some getting used to the fluidity of the scenes, where things ebb and flow with seemingly no direction. But for those audience members willing to give Cisco and Skye a chance, there’s a lot to learn about two humans facing not just their own deaths, but the obliteration of everything that makes them feel something. There’s never been a movie that so perfectly captures the realization that our time is limited — and perhaps the greatest protest against the inevitable is to give up and live life already.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• 4:44 Last Day on Earth

• 2012

• Written and directed by Abel Ferrara

• Starring Willem Dafoe and Shanyn Leigh

• Running time: 85 minutes

• Rating: