Movie review: 'Seeking a Friend for the End of the World'

By Dennis King | Published: June 22, 2012

Steve Carell and Keira Knightley share a scene in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World."
FOCUS FEATURES PHOTO <strong></strong>

Steve Carell and Keira Knightley share a scene in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." FOCUS FEATURES PHOTO

Dodge hopes to track down his high-school sweetheart, the “one that got away,” with the help of a wayward letter that Penny forgot to deliver. Penny hopes to hop a flight to London (Dodge knows a guy with an airplane) to spend her last days in the bosom of her family.

Along the way this unlikely couple encounter detours (a visit to Penny's former boyfriend, a macho survivalist, to borrow a Smart Car), obstacles (a stern cop who refuses to allow a minor traffic violation to pass), and quirky respites (an impromptu bacchanal at a randy Friendsy's theme restaurant). And, inevitably, in the face of doom love blooms.

What the quirky, human-scale story lacks in suspense and thrills it more than makes up in offbeat charm and earnest optimism. Both Carell and Knightley sell this bleak premise with charming chemistry and unassuming performances that are hard to resist. He's the very picture of the modest schmo who strikes it lucky just as the lights go out; she's that irrepressible sprite, filled with optimism and hope even as all hope is gone.

Together, these two hugely appealing stars make “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” a strangely uplifting, amusing and joyful tale of doom.

— Dennis King

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