World Premiere: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World @ LA Film Festival

Last night at the Los Angeles Film Festival Seeking a Friend for the End of the World premiered. A glowing cast (Ms. Knightly is knewly engaged, Carell looked tan and happy) posed for pictures on the red carpet in downtown Los Angeles to support the film, along with Director Lorene Scafaria, who looked quite stunning herself. Plus a few others. 

Once we had all sat down, Scafaria introduced the film to the large audience: "It's about the power of having one very good friend." Then she went on to name her closest friends, and thank her cast and crew. "I was happy every single day I got to be around them," she says.

Yes, the year is 2012 and it may or may not be the apocolypse here on [real, not movie] earth and this film rides that amazing and ridiculous subject. What would you do with yourself if you knew the world was going to end in 20 days? Choosing the comical rather than the over-played doom route, the film is often hilarious (pay special attention to T.J. Miller and the Friendly's scene). 

But the apocolypse it's not what the movie is about. At one point Carell's character Dodge says, "You'd think a lifetime of waiting for the worst to happen would have prepared me for this."

Okay, I get it. Let's make the most of our lives instead of waiting for the worst to happen every day! Live every day like it might be your last! The apocolypse, what an excellent narrative device, and Seeking a Friend makes good use of it. 

Though the second half drags a little and it's more funny/light drama than going as far and deep as it could have gone for a movie with the great apocolypse as its theme, Carrell and Knightley compliment the lighter path Scafaria has chosen, and my heart soared once during it. It's a film that reminds you what's important, in a friendly way, and I have mad respect for that. My date thought it fantastic. Cheers Ms. Scafaria, curious to see what's next.