The Last Duel

The ads for this made it look so stupid. Matt Damon’s dumb mullet. Ben Affleck’s bad, blonde mop. Just the hair alone made it look terrible. So my expectations were pretty low. But low and behold, this was tight, interesting, and poignant. A delicate, thought-provoking take on a moment in history that I would have never known. Sir Ridley brings the production value, that’s for sure, but he never lingers. In a Rashomon style, it’s told from three different points-of-view and every detail matters as the conflict escalates. You would never know the running time is long – it moves. Strangely, it’s a chore to pick this over other movie choices – the always crucial selection of the night’s entertainment. It seems long. It seems heavy. It seems rapey. But it’s a quality thing. Performances are solid. The plot is comprehensive and compelling. Wielded swords stab vigorously. It’s a nice yarn. But! Big, big, big BUT, there’s are themes, too. Themes about women, themes about dumb/ bickering men, and themes about marriage that hold up a mirror to our modern times.