"The Last Kiss" is more than a peck on the cheek

There is an old saying that "women remember the first kiss; men remember the last." While this may be true, "The Last Kiss" will certainly be remembered by both men and women as the first good relationship movie in a long time.

In an entertainment era in which a trip to the movies is often a choice between the latest antics of Will Ferrell and pretentious artiness, a movie like "The Last Kiss," written by Paul Haggis ("Crash," "Million Dollar Baby") and directed by Tony Goldwyn ("Grey's Anatomy"), is a rare treat — interesting and entertaining with a unique look at the difficulties of modern relationships. Although high school students may be somewhat detached from the subject matter, the complex characters and engaging story driven by brilliant acting is well worth the $9.50.

The plot centers around 29-year old Michael (Zach Braff), who is, in essence, Peter Pan — with a girlfriend and a baby on the way. Scared of growing up and having "no more surprises" in his life, he finds reprieve in the young, spunky Kim (Rachel Bilson), a girl who makes him feel ten years younger when what he really needs is to start acting his age.

Zach Braff came into his own with 2004's Garden State, in which he played a young man trying to break out of his hazy non-life and dreary routine. His role in "Kiss" is played from exactly the opposite side of the field — Michael is scared that his life is about to become a mundane existence as he begins to see the rest of his life completely planned out before him. Braff manages to shape his signature style — the glazed yet penetrating deer-in-headlights stare and awkward body language — to fit the different character.

Michael's girlfriend Jenna is played adeptly by Jacinda Barrett ("Poseidon"), who perfectly conveys the intense pain and heartache that comes with the complications of modern relationships. The chemistry between Braff and Barrett is convincingly comfortable and raw — there is no spark of passion but rather a contented togetherness that is fitting for the mature, relaxed relationship.

More excellent performances come from Jenna's parents Anna (Blythe Danner) and Stephen (Tom Wilkinson), who offer a much-needed divergence from the movie's slew of early-30-somethings.

Blythe Danner, as a pained woman who is not just bored with her husband, but who has convinced herself that she was never happy with him in the first place, steals the show with a brilliant portrayal of Anna. She often plays the compassionate mother-in-law like in "Meet the Parents," but she comes to the forefront in this movie with an expressive story of her own. Wilkinson also gets some opportunities to showcase his talent. He delivers earnestly what is the line of the movie: "What you feel only matters to you. It's what you do to the people you love that really matters." Wilkinson's quiet yet superb performance, and Danner's poignant one together portray undeniably the most interesting relationship of the film.

One of the movie's few weak points is Kim, who, as Michael's tempting apple out of the Garden of Breedin' and back into the Land of Surprises, should presumably be someone pretty spectacular. But Bilson does not quite cut it as a flighty sorority girl who is essentially Bilson's same character from "The O.C," but with a different taste in clothes. Bilson certainly has the cute thing down, but the fact that smart, sophisticated Michael would be so fascinated by someone as dull and vapid as Kim is entirely unbelievable; all that Kim accomplishes is to prove once and for all that Bilson has absolutely no acting talent.

But Bilson's shortcomings are more than covered by the talent of the rest of the cast, as well as the excellent direction and cinematography. Michael's four friends each add a different perspective to the relationship smorgasbord; especially compelling is Casey Affleck as a man driven to distraction by his controlling wife. There is even some interesting camerawork that might not be expected from such a movie that often adds humor to the heavy material. For example, the opening scene shows Michael gazing lovingly at Jenna, until the camera shifts slightly to show a Victoria's Secret ad to be the true object of Michael's desire.

At one point in the movie, Jenna faces Michael forlornly and says, "Everyone around us is falling apart." This certainly seems to be the whole point; men are jerks, women are border-line psychotic, and each relationship fails faster than the last. But the movie itself seems to rise each time its characters fall, and it's clear that this "Last Kiss" will be a lingering one.

"The Last Kiss"(104 minutes) is rated R for sexuality, nudity and language and is now playing in area theaters.