Wow, my new favorite movie of all time!

How is it possible that I have never heard of this film? I stumbled on it on Netflix and thought I would give it a try. I like dark movies and they don't get much darker than this one. With a single viewing this became my favorite movie of all time.

There be spoilers here!

There are so many fantastic aspects of this movie; the writing, the cinematography, the soundtrack, and the acting.

I love that some things are never fully disclosed or explained. For example, we are never told the name of Penny's newborn niece. Based on Penny's reaction to hearing the name, my thought was that the baby was named after Penny. Others here theorize that the baby was named after Penny's sister that died at birth. I appreciate that some parts of the story are left up to the viewer's imagination. Dodge's last minute decision to abandon his pursuit of Olivia, and his explanation to Penny seems very lacking in detail. Something felt missing. I appreciate that intrigue.

I enjoyed seeing so many different reactions to the impending doom, and all seemed very understandable. I think my favorite though was when they stumbled upon the line of people at the beach getting baptized, followed by their time on the beach. They seemed truly at peace on that beach. When they were back in their car I felt like I could identify that they had one of those days, the very few and far between, where we lose ourselves and all track of time and worries. I believe in that short time at the beach they managed to forget their fate and enjoy life, and each other. It was their "ten seconds tops" moment, to quote another of my favorite movies, Home For the Holidays.

Dodge's early claim of knowing someone with a plane followed by his later downplaying of such a contact put that idea completely out of my mind. The unexpected visit to his father after forgoing Olivia raised no alarms. Even the private conversation between Dodge and his estanged father raised no eyebrow when he told his father "It isn't too late." And then it begins...

I can think of no other movie scene so beautifully written, filmed, and acted as the scenes accompanied by The Hollie's The Air That I Breathe. The song choice is inspired and fits the movie so well that it would be easy to believe the movie was written with the song in mind, or even the other way around. As Dodge carried Penny out of the house, I had no idea what was happening due to filming the scene from the front. It was only when the scene cuts to being filmed from behind that Dodge's actions are explained. I can't tell you how beautiful I think that cinematography and direction is. That it wasn't until that moment that we knew what the visit to his father was about, Dodge's statement to his father that it wasn't too late, and that Dodge was making good on his offer to Penny is stunningly beautiful. The song's lull is the perfect place for Dodge's proclamtion to a sleeping Penny, "You're the love of my life." In all honesty, now that I know the scene and its surprise, I cry the entire time The Air That I Breathe plays. The movie is so perfectly intertwined with the song that the editing must have been a colossal effort. I have watched this part of the movie multiple times and every time it brings tears to my eyes.

The final scene's dialog is moving. Some viewers like to think that perhaps the asteroid missed, or wasn't as bad as predicted. You must know in your heart though that it would be a betrayal to the integrity of the story and characters for that to be the case, right? No, this story demands and deserves the ultimate end.

While I can't think of a movie that causes a greater emotional outpouring from me, it also has its funny moments. One of my favorites is at the end of the movie during the last news broadcast when it is revealed that scientists miscalculated the impact of the asteroid and that it was arriving a week early...in 16 hours. In what may be my favorite comedic slap in the face to humanity in an end of the world film, the news anchor reminds us to not forget that it is daylight saving time, so don't forget to set the clocks ahead an hour. That's brutal.

This movie forced me to realize how good Steve Carell is as a dramatic actor. His understated delivery in this movie is proof to me that less can be more. As good of a comedic actor as he is, perhaps he is even better at drama. I think he is following in the footsteps of Robin Williams. I certainly hope he stops one step short.