Why I Saw It: The premise was simple and intriguing, I enjoy Steve Carell’s work (Crazy, Stupid, Love; Date Night) and I enjoy Keira Knightley’s work in non-Period-Pieces (Never Let Me Go; Love Actually; Bend It Like Beckham).
What Was It About? “WAs an asteroid nears Earth, a man finds himself alone after his wife leaves in a panic. He decides to take a road trip to reunite with his high school sweetheart. Accompanying him is a neighbor who inadvertently puts a wrench in his plan.“
Rating: 8.1 out of 10
Memorable Performances: While I wasn’t disappointed by Steve Carell’s performance – it was more than adequate – it wasn’t enough to surpass anything he did with Crazy, Stupid, Love or even Date Night. It’s not necessarily a forgettable movie, but it won’t rank near the top for him.
Keira Knightley’s character was a bit more aloof than some of the others she has portrayed, and because she kept her character endearing despite its faults, this is certainly a memorable performance for me.
Potential Nominations for Film Quest ’13:
- none
Favorite Parts: The entire part of the movie at the Friendsy’s restaurant was almost too absurd for me, but having worked in a restaurant, I could see it happening and so it worked for me, despite some plotholes/reasoning-gaps. The hitchhiking scene with William Peterson got a laugh from me, if for no other reason than it was an interesting twist tossed in. I really enjoyed the end of the film, which actually took an above-average movie to the next level for me.
The Regrettable Aspects: The ending of the film is something I really enjoyed, but I could see other people hoping it would’ve gone a different direction. Had it gone in a totally different direction at the very end, I could’ve found myself enjoying it just as much. That said, there are several other things they could’ve done with the ending to the film which would’ve significantly detracted from it.
(Spoilers discussed on the second page of the review)
Would I watch it again? I doubt I will. I caught it again already on one of the premium channels I subscribe to, and if it’s on again, I’ll probably flip to it if I don’t have anything else going on, but it’s not the type of movie that I’d go out of my way to rent again (or even seek out on Instant watching).
To Whom Would I Recommend It? To anyone who enjoys films with plots that make you think about life, human nature and things of that sort. If someone’s looking for a comedy, I’d point them in a different direction.
Other Recommendations:
– CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE. – Steve Carell is excellent in this film, and it’s another one of those movies which is significantly heavy on the drama but decent with the comedy. I’m a fan of Ryan Gosling’s work, so that was another big reason for me to check it out.
– UP IN THE AIR – This is another film about interactions between very different people thrown together by circumstances. There is a similar level of drama / comedy ratio in both of these films, though it’s safe to say that UP IN THE AIR has considerably better performances.
– LOVE ACTUALLY – Though I can’t necessarily point my finger to exactly why I like this film, I’ve yet to find someone who has said anything negative towards it. Even some of the guys I know, who wouldn’t typically be into a film like this, enjoyed it.
– THE INVENTION OF LYING – I liken these movies because this film also takes a world-altering concept and delves into what people would be like and how different everything would be. It certainly relies a bit more on comedy, and honestly isn’t as good, but it’s still an entertaining AND thought-provoking film.
If you’ve got recommendations for alternatives to SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, or for other similar films, let me know!
Next up… The DESCENDANTS!
(or continue on to the spoiler-iffic portions of page 2)
Guys Film Quest 
Good review. While the tone does get a bit loopy by the end, I still liked the original vision the movie had of the end of the world. It was more realistic than we’re used to seeing, and it made me sad, while hopeful as well.
Thanks Dan! I added a spoiler-iffic second page where I discuss the ending and my thoughts on different options. I probably shouldn’t have posted the review before I did that, but you might find it an interesting read, in case you didn’t see it yet!