“The Last Journey” unfolds as a humorous and heartbreaking road movie, a tender portrait of the love director Philipp Hammar has for his ailing 80-year-old father, Lars. Hoping to rekindle the older man’s enthusiasm for life, Philip and his best friend and co-director Frederic Wickingson move him to the French seaside town where they used to vacation, but eventually, the disdainful Philip must come along. To deal with the indignities that aging brings and what time makes inevitable. On another level, the film is a tribute to teachers and an affirmation of how good people are to be inspired and remembered.
With over 400,000 admissions to date in Sweden, this life-affirming documentary broke box office records and is still in theaters after 32 weeks. As Sweden’s biggest international film, it has the audacity to be a dark horse candidate.
This is the feature film debut of Hammar and Wikingsson, who began their careers as journalists but are now well-known in their native Sweden for their decades-long collaborations as unconventional television personalities, podcast hosts, and authors. They bring some of their signature spontaneity and chaos into the mix on “The Last Ride,” which also blends in with home movies and recordings made by the Hamars.
In 2008, when Lars, still lively, retired from teaching high school French in his hometown of Köping at the age of 66, he looked forward to a fruitful life.”Third ageBut by 2022, he is suffering from mysterious pains and barely wants to get out of his easy chair. His strong and energetic wife Tina confesses to Philip that he seems to have lost his spark.
Philippe exploits the misguided idea that he can somehow restore Lars to his former state of health and mental state if he returns him to his beloved France. After tracking down the orange Renault 4, the disposable family car, he packs his bags with his reluctant father. With Wickingson, who had become the voice of reason, in the back seat, they set off for Beaulieu-sur-Mer.
Naturally, the long journey does not go as expected, and the Renault, with a top speed of 40 mph, becomes the most overtaken car in Europe. But along the way, the cinematography gets a chance to shine, capturing the autumnal beauty of the local plants, roads, bridges and sky. Meanwhile, Philippe and Frederic, who have experience hosting atypical TV travel shows, remain relaxed and embrace the uncertainty.
One of the nicest aspects of the film, which Lars commented on, is the fact that Philippe remembers the family holiday traditions much more than Lars does. But sometimes Philippe goes so far in trying to manage these matters, as in a strange scene in which he interrupts his father and their elderly French guests as they enumerate which of their acquaintances is sick and who has died, in an attempt to convince him. He told an old story about Harry Belafonte with the flair he remembered.
Even if Lars is never the lively, energetic father that Philip idealizes, he still comes across as a wise and practical soul. He’s a humble man with a great sense of humor, displaying his sincere love for France and some of that country’s crazier foibles.
Some funny moments come as Philip and Frederik seek to recreate situations that Lars once encountered and enjoyed. Since French traffic practices were the source of his fascination, they presented a model scene with the actors. But it’s not easy to find the angry parrot dipping its beak into a beer glass.
The most poignant scene comes near the end, with a final surprise in which Philip and Frederik stand along the stretch of beach where Lars requested his ashes be scattered after his death. If viewers didn’t cry, they would surely call their parents.
Christian Olsson’s cheerful score and incorporation of French language songs by Lar favorites Jacques Brel and Georges Brassens suit the material and make for enjoyable listening. The rest of the production credits are good, including cheerful titles highlighting the main characters and animated maps illustrating the itinerary.