Written and Directed by Pan Nalin
Starring Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Richa Meena, and Dipen Raval

What we have here in Last Film Show is a reel romance story. A semi-autobiographical film about one boy’s one true love – movies, the magic and wonder of them.

It shares many parallels to the Italian Oscar-winning ® classic film Cinema Paradiso, particularly during the first half. Shot on location in a Saurashtra, a peninsular region on the Arabian Sea coast in India where writer and director Pan Nalin was born and brought up, Last Film Show is also a forbidden love tale. 

Nine-year-old Samay (Bhavin Rabari) is first taken to the cinema, appealingly named Galaxy House, by his father (Dipen Raval) who detests films for the filth he believes they bring into the world. The exception to his rule, however, is a screening of a religious movie at Galaxy House. Though Samay is interested in the projected images before him, it’s what’s happening behind the scenes to bring those images to life that truly mesmerises and sparks his curiosity. Realising that lighting plays a large role in the process, he starts out by experimenting with light during free time at home. Soon after, the gravitational pull towards the cinema outweighs any guilt or fear of disobeying his father. There, he works a sweet deal with Galaxy House’s cinema projectionist (Bhavesh Shrimali) to score himself regular viewings of various films, but a forthcoming transition to digital film puts Fazal’s job in jeopardy and threatens to cut Samay’s growing film aspirations.

As I mentioned and as those who have seen Cinema Paradiso can now fathom, Last Film Show is representing a similar story and some common themes. But thanks to the setting of its location, the trajectory of the story from when digital film is introduced, and the era it is taking place, this coming-of-age drama refrains from being a carbon copy. It’s a captivating and endearing film that is light on dialogue and is visually beautiful. Speaking of beautiful, scenes where Samay’s mother (Richa Meena) prepares and cooks meals for her son to take with him on his day’s out are delectable and had me wishing this were a 4D experience! I just wish she was given more characterisation and involvement in her son’s story than cooking and smiling. I did find the second half of Last Film Show less captivating than it was earlier and getting to 110 minutes felt like a stretch, but it remains a worthwhile movie to experience that pays homage to other films and filmmakers before it.

Last Film Show is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from September 14th.

Moviedoc thanks Rialto Distribution and Annette Smith: Ned & Co for providing a screener link to watch and review this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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