MovieChat Forums > Mr. Morgan's Last Love (2013) Discussion > ending ruined it for me (SPOILERS)

ending ruined it for me (SPOILERS)

posted 10 years ago by haorao
27 replies | jump to latest

beautiful acting, backdrop, liked the choice of actors, michael caine is always quite good. story was a little convoluted, predictable lines at times, gimmicky jabs at american culture that even i, as a canadian, took offense too, but minor quibbles that can be overlooked because the overall feel of the movie was much to my liking....very subjective i know, but i think people have described the movie as 'charming' and i think that's the perfect word too

except the last ...i don't know, 20 minutes or so...i don't even know where the climax was exactly. anyway, the whole story arc where pauline starts french kissing with miles....there was too much of a leap in logic as to how they developed this combustible attraction. they had a long conversation, she fell asleep in his hotel room, while matthew was still waiting for her at his country home no less....i felt it was such an egregious turn of events, i was literally calling out "no, no, NOOOOOOO" as pauline and miles kissed. it was gimmicky not because such a thing happening was inconceivable, but because it came out of nowhere. they built up this whole relationship between matthew and pauline, a beautiful, lovely, deeply romantic relationship, and then the pissy, snot-nosed, ingrate of a son absconds with the girl! outrageous. my heart hurt for matthew.

one can say that matthew was so much older than pauline, he should have known that it wouldn't have worked out, but i thought the whole point was that there could be such a love between this old man and this young woman, that their bond could transcend age and they could find common ground.

so disappointed by this. i'm also a little biased against the actor that played miles. i didn't like him at all; i could feel no sympathy for him because, as matthew put it, it did seem like he wasn't cut out for the long haul and all he could do was blame his dad for his failures. sigh.

[–] mikedegot 10 years ago

I agree. I felt like something was going to develop between Pauline and Miles but the way it just happened was a bit odd.

Prior to that spontaneous hallway moment, there's nothing to root for with the Miles character. It's not like we see that he's a decent guy who thinks his father is to blame for something, he's presented to us as an angry jerk pretty much. So for her to run to him like that just out of the blue...it was too much of a stretch. It's as if she's interested in him BEFORE finding out he's not that bad, at least from the audience's perspective.

Soon to be divorced guy makes emergency trip to another country after his father's suicide attempt while dealing with some unresolved issues with said father. But there's still enough wiggle room amidst that trainwreck of a situation for guy to meet girl and decide he's going to do whatever it takes to make sure she doesn't get away, just in time for his flight back home after his father's successful suicide.

She should have been a shoulder to cry on, his father's last friend. Not a new romantic interest. He didn't do anything that should have warranted her falling for him that quickly. He's a stranger who shows up and seems to be pissed at the old guy she met on the bus.

And who was the guy who was waiting for her back at her place who she kisses and leaves with? He's never mentioned again. They mention the guy who gives her a ride home when Matthew's car broke down, but they don't say anything about who I thought was her boyfriend.

[–] xs_silver 10 years ago

He didn't do anything that should have warranted her falling for him that quickly.

Actually the way I interpreted it was that matthew and pauline did have a connection but the barrier was the age thing. Pauline realizes that Miles's character is exactly like his father and Miles realizes what it is the matthew sees in pauline so the feeling is mutual.

he's presented to us as an angry jerk pretty much.

I think you confused this with the sister?
He is angry with his father because he kidnaps her away from the kids in her last days?
He has the scene where he calls his kid and he is nothing but nice.
Or maybe you think he's a jerk because initially he's skeptical about who pauline is? (eg. is she just a golddigger - but he realizes that isnt the case when he visits the dance studio)
Im surprised such an easy to understand movie can still be so ambiguous.

[–] mikedegot 10 years ago

How could I confuse him with his sister who just acted indifferent and materialistic? She didn't act angry. She didn't stand around with a perpetual frown on her face like he did.

Calls his kid and is nothing but nice? Maybe it's the actors fault I guess, since he has the same facial expression through the entire movie. Nothing about that call says "nice" to me. He's barely talking to the kid. He's obviously preoccupied with what's going on with his own father. That phone conversation did nothing to soften him in my eyes. He still looked cold and angry.

I don't think the romantic connection between Pauline and Matthew was two-sided. He obviously was infatuated with her, but she says she wanted them to be family. She's seeing a surrogate father in him. Which adds a bit of an ew factor when she then jumps into the arms of her pseudo-brother later. Which may have been intentional if you look back at how his real sister poses with the bottle after knocking on his hotel room door. Incestuous undertone?

The sudden turn from "Will you two stop bickering and just talk" to "Shut up and kiss me you fool" is just awkward in this movie. These characters had too much on their plates for some sort of "Well he's just like his father, I want him now" romance. Even if it is France.

Their relationship would have a base of him just having his marriage end and her being desperately lonely with the backdrop of his father/her friend committing suicide. But go ahead, hold hands in the park and make future plans. Like the OP said, it's a rough patch in an otherwise decent flick.

[–] haorao 10 years ago

i agree with mikedegot. miles never struck me as nice, except after pauline kissed him, but that felt like it was because he's kind of a self-entitled, egocentric brat that only cares about his own selfish pleasure. maybe that was intentional, at least it's how i read it. and how could he do that to someone that his father was obviously taken with? bad, bad form indeed. matthew was portrayed as the better man. sure he claims that he wasn't a great father (didn't elaborate on how), but seems like he was a total romantic with his wife; i'd say a desirable quality in a partner.

i didn't understand why the gillian anderson character was posing with the bottle at all...at first i thought she went out and found an anonymous french suitor to seduce, but it turned out to be miles...totally confused.

i agree the romantic connection between pauline and matthew wasn't two-sided. personally i would have liked it if it were more two sided. i would have like the "love knows no age" angle. pauline was indeed looking for a father figure, but i'd also hoped that it would turn into more of a romantic love. that might be because i think the romantic relationships in the movie were depicted as being so much enjoyable than any of the parent-child relationships.

i think it was a shame that matthew actually ended up killing himself. i would think that miles (and pauline, had she known the extent of matthew's affection for her) should feel horribly, horribly guilty after matthew's death. you can't be responsible for everyone else's actions, but nevertheless, it must cross miles' mind that maybe matthew wouldn't have killed himself if he was happily pursuing pauline. and surely pauline couldn't be totally oblivious to matthew's feelings for her. anyway, i'd like to have seen matthew and pauline be happy together, or at least for matthew to have found a reason to live on.

[–] alesisqs61 10 years ago

I felt it was coming.... The first time she looked at him she gave him sexy eyes in my opinion but did not act upon it. The father and son were ALOT alike and that grabbed her and she ran with it. I feel like she wanted a father figure in her life and she wanted a guy who just didn't hit on her right off the bat. I actually loved it, even though it was pretty sad.

http://www.youtube.com/user/alphazoom
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[–] ArtfulDodgah 9 years ago

i didn't understand why the gillian anderson character was posing with the bottle at all...at first i thought she went out and found an anonymous french suitor to seduce, but it turned out to be miles...totally confused.

I found that part really weird too. Like I could see maybe sisters doing that to be silly, but even then ....

[–] zee-la 10 years ago

i don't think that matthew was attracted to pauline in a romantic sort of way. pauline reminded him of his wife. he was feeling lonely and thinking of dying and saw in the kindness of pauline some beauty in life. a breath of fresh air. pauline saw in matthew the father she lost so it was more a father and daughter relationship. his son wasn't meant to be a likeable character so that's props to the casting. but i agree that the ending wasn't as good as it could've been.

[–] Yorick_Brown 9 years ago

Yeah. People are really overstating the romantic attraction between Michael and Pauline

[–] xxx131000 10 years ago

Well if I were Pauline I would choose the son too, he's quite charming although he seems angry all the time but that because his wife just dumped him. Matthew is old enough to be her grandfather. She never interested in Matthew. She just want to be his friend. It was obvious from the moment the son came into scene that they were supposed to be love interest, they have this whole cliche hate-love vibe.

[–] Yorick_Brown 9 years ago

I agree entirely with this post.

[–] JackBluegrass 8 years ago

" he seems angry all the time but that because his wife just dumped him. "

Well, that, yes, but Miles also says his wife is pregnant by another man. That added knowledge may have made Miles a little extra testy.

E pluribus unum

[–] magnoliaspringsal 10 years ago

Cheesy. It started out a good movie then deteriorated into Lifetime production.

The first half was great. Beautiful scenes and backdrops, well shot.

Then his children showed up. It felt contrived from that part forward. Way overacted blaming Dad for their heartlessness. Pauline steals Matthew's car, drives two hours back from the ocean to Paris after leaving him a note, 'be right back', in order to fall in love with the cad of a son.

Spoiler:

In the end, Matthew does the right thing. Having killed his wife and unsuccessfully attempting suicide, he tells his son to treat Pauline right then does himself in. (The film is based on the book, "La Douceur Assassine" - The Gentle Killer.)

Just plain cheesy.

[–] Keyser_Soze1000 10 years ago

It screamed "Studio rewrite." Just like with the film "The Oranges" the studio was afraid of backlash if the older man and younger woman get together (mostly from bitter housewives)s they went with the more acceptable ending.

I'm telling you it's Keyser Soze!

[–] Betanet 10 years ago

I also felt that Pauline's jumping his bones in the hallway was precipitated by...nothing. WTF brought this on? If this was a book adaptation, the screenwriter needs to be admonished.

[–] Lexiii67 10 years ago

Bitter housewives? It's pretty typical, every guy thinks he deserves a hot young chick no matter hold old, wrinkly, bald and fat they are.

[–] hlmitchell31 8 years ago

And there you have it, a bitter housewife responding to the post about bitter housewives. LOL!!

Also, I think it's true, the last half has got to be a rewritten reworked plot for fear of backlash from *ahem* "people" who were test screened and took offense to seeing an older man with a younger french woman, no matter the innocence of it. The last 50 minutes ruined what could have been a real surprising thoughtful film. Turned out to be, yes a sappy, lifetime, maudlin, milquetoast dime store like romantic novel. Great acting though (not as much with the son).

[–] llllll13-17-119316 10 years ago

i loved this movie until the late stages, her getting with the son was poorly developed and it didnt seem to be in her character. michael caine starts threatening his son and then he offs himself, what the hell!

Everybody strap in, we about to open some windows

[–] movie80 10 years ago

What bothers me is when he offered her the house. I just don't get it.
I like the movie and the actors very much, it is well done in my opinion, it is some details in the story that bother me.

[–] AgentBlue 10 years ago

yeah the ending was not what I wanted it to be, still a good movie tho but like a person with a black eye some parts r hard to look at.

Lose the Game!!!!!!!

[–] Fabian-Fricker89 10 years ago

I felt the romantic relationship between Matthew and Pauline was one-sided and she saw him more as a father figure and after Miles had appereared I thought he and Pauline would end up together. There was a connection between them and she was lonely and she said she's easily impressed. Still the kiss was a surprise at that time.

I'm a bit surprised at the the dislike of Miles. I felt like he had good reason to be angry i mean even Matthew admitted he had a hard time caring for his kids. I actually grew to dislike Matthew more and more after the dinner and after he wanted to give the house to Pauline. That changed again in the last 20 minutes after he and his son talked it out.

In the end Matthew felt there was nothing left for him to do. Sad but he could end it on his own terms. Not so sure about Pauline and Miles though.

[–] happyphantom9 8 years ago

I agree, I was more on Miles's side, but many on this board seem to dislike him. Matthew said himself that he wasn't a good father, and then offering the house (and money) to Pauline?

[–] ambivalentti 9 years ago

I just watched this, and I agree with everything you said! The only thing I didn't like about the movie was the son, something about him just... ehh. When he started making out with Pauline, I just wanted to kick him, it was such a beautiful movie up until then.

[–] benman46 9 years ago

The one thing I couldn't understand was what was Michael Caine doing in the movie. He's always had problems with an American accent and in this film it hardly existed. So why cast him as an American in the first place, couldn't they find anyone else to play the part? Oh and the movie was rotten to the core.