Last Call (2002)

In ill health and struggling with sobriety, F. Scott Fitzgerald (Jeremy Irons) attempts to write a new novel with the help of a young secretary (Neve Campbell). Based on the memoir AGAINST THE CURRENT: AS I REMEMBER F. SCOTT FITZGERALD by Frances Kroll (played here by Neve Campbell) and directed by Henry Bromell. Very well done with one of Jeremy Irons' very best performances. The film manages to avoid most of the cliches of movie biographies of great writers, mostly by concentrating on a specific period of Fitzgerald's life rather than a full bio. The movie thankfully avoids sensationalism as the last couple of years of Fitzgerald's life provides more than enough drama. The period detail (the late 1930s/early 40s) is exceptional and the lensing by Jeff Jur is quite striking. There's a fine underscore by Brian Tyler. The only minor flaw is the unnecessary addition of Zelda Fitzgerald (Sissy Spacek who is wasted) as a ghostly presence in Fitzgerald's imagination which only seems to hinder the narrative. Oddly enough, Spacek was the only actor to receive an Emmy nomination. With Natalie Radford, Paul Hecht and Shannon Lawson.