- Director:
Steve Norrington - AMG Rating:
- Genre: Crime
- Movie Type: Crime Drama
- Themes: Musician's Life, Rise and Fall Stories
- Main Cast: Max Beesley, Emily Corrie, Tom Bell, Jason Isaacs, Kate Ashfield
- Release Year: 2002
- Country: UK
- Run Time: 104 minutes
Plot
In between the big-budget Blade and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, British filmmaker Stephen Norrington directs the straight-to-video crime drama The Last Minute. Told in flashback, the story follows the rise and fall of Billy Byrne (Max Beesley). With a determined goal to be famous, he lands his first big show with the help of his slick agent, Walsh (Anthony Higgins). Fame comes quickly as he travels the globe and gets invited to hip clubs, becoming the darling of the London art scene. Due to his excessive, self-centered behavior, his girlfriend Janey (Kate Ashfield) leaves him. His fame fades away and he falls into a life of crime, drugs, and gangsters led by Grimshanks (Tom Bell), where he meets Anna (Emily Corrie). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie GuideReview
The storyline of Last Minute is what happens, but it’s not by any means what this film is about. Writer-director Steven Norrington (Blade) brings a phenomenal amount of action to a dangerously literate script with this one-of-a-kind combination of Trainspotting and Blue Velvet. The film employs a vivid visual style -- not unlike that of Terry Gilliam’s wondrous excesses -- and sly, off-kilter dialogue with David Lynch-ian overtones. Max Beesley gives a star-making performance as a pop icon descending into personal Hell, but Jason Isaacs’ mobster, who sings Percy Sledge love ballads during his violent, bloody sprees, and the other secondary characters are equally unforgettable. Music by electronic bands, including Aphex Twin, adds power to the visuals. And yes, there is a message amid the madness. Pay attention.~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
Cast
- Max Beesley - Billy Byrne
Emily Corrie - Anna- Tom Bell - Grimshanks
- Jason Isaacs - Percy
Kate Ashfield - Janey
