<p> What's with the end of the world? Surely the release of so many cinematic countdowns to the last hours is registering some sort of anxiety in our society? Director Abel Ferrara's <em>4:44 Last Day on Earth </em>examines the apocalypse through a bohemian couple in their NYC loft, Skye (Shanyn Leigh) and Cisco (Willem Dafoe). With the ozone layer is scheduled to disintegrate at precisely 4:44 a.m., Cisco torments himself by playing Al Gore videos, which lend the movie an unfortunately obvious note of “I told you so.” He shaves as normal and she continues working on her drip and splatter painting. They have lots of sex. They argue. Outside, the streets are strangely normal. Why loot and pillage if everything you steal will evaporate in a few hours anyway? </p> <p>Ferrara falls into arty visual digressions (and is the science plausible?), but <em>4:44</em> works well as a low-key psychological study of the many ways of facing ultimate catastrophe. One of the couple's neighbors matter-of-factly leaps to his death from the fire escape. The TV anchor stoically announces that he will spend the last hours with his family and the station goes to automatic camera feeds from around the city. Some goodbyes are over the distant medium of Skype; others in person. Rage gives way to acceptance. Recrimination vies with compassion. </p> <p>Dafoe channels many of the dramatic gestures he learned in Milwaukee avant-garde theater years before his movie career and the <em>4:44</em> would probably have been better told within the tighter frame of a live stage. It's flawed but thought provoking, especially in its realization that in the end, we still have choices. <em>4:44 Last Day on Earth</em> is out on Blu-ray and DVD.<br /></p>
