Last Rites (film)
| Last Rites | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover of "Last Rites" | |
| Directed by | Donald P. Bellisario |
| Produced by |
Donald P. Bellisario Patrick McCormick |
| Written by | Donald P. Bellisario |
| Starring |
Tom Berenger Daphne Zuniga Chick Vennera Anne Twomey Dane Clark Paul Dooley |
| Music by | Bruce Broughton |
| Cinematography | David Watkin |
| Editing by | Pembroke J. Herring |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release dates | November 18, 1988 |
| Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $427,000 |
Last Rites is a 1988 thriller film written and directed by Donald P. Bellisario and starring Tom Berenger.[1]
Synopsis
Father Michael is a New York priest with close ties to the Mafia crime syndicate—his father is a don. The priest's brother-in-law, a mafia boss, is murdered while having sex with Angela, a mistress.
Pursued by hitmen, the mistress comes to the priest for help. The two have a near-deadly encounter with the hitmen, during which the priest is wounded, but not severely. He hides Angela in his church for a time, then the two are forced to go on the run.
Father Michael learns that the hitmen are under orders from his own sister, Zena, widow of the murdered mafia boss. The priest begins to fall in love with Angela, and finally succumbs to her vulnerability and charms. For the first time, the priest violates his vows. In flight to her home country, Mexico, the two have a sexual affair. The morning after, he awakens to find the girl gone.
Cast and crew
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Tom Berenger | Father Michael Pace |
| Daphne Zuniga | Angela |
| Chick Vennera | Nuzo |
| Anne Twomey | Zena |
| Dane Clark | Don Carlo |
| Paul Dooley | Father Freddie |
| Vassili Lambrinos | Tío |
| Adrian Paul | Tony |
| Deborah Pratt | Robin Dwyer |
| Tony DiBenedetto | Lt. Jericho |
Reception
The film was both a commercial and critical failure and caused a significant amount of controversy because of the touchy subject matter. Roger Ebert (himself raised Catholic) gave the film a "zero star" rating saying,This is it - located at last and with only six weeks to spare - the worst film of 1988. "Last Rites" qualifies because it passes both acid tests: It is not only bad filmmaking, but it is offensive as well - offensive to my intelligence.[2]
In America the film grossed $427,000 making it one of the biggest box office bombs of 1988.[3]
References
External links
- Last Rites at the Internet Movie Database
- Last Rites at allmovie
- Last Rites at Rotten Tomatoes
- Last Rites at Box Office Mojo