So, The Last Keepers. Another that wasn’t exactly high on my list of films to watch when doing this Virginia Madsen watch / rewatch thing. And, I’m not sure if it’d even be on my list if it wasn’t for Mrs Madsen. No, I am sure. It wouldn’t be.
It’s not the kind of film that is trying to grab your attention either, it’s got quite a subdued presence all round. And, without meaning to sound like a broken record – I don’t know if I’d have even heard of it without Virginia Madsen.
Despite all its quietness and nonedescriptness, it’s a film you’ve seen before. Probably many years ago, and many times. It’s a “quirky girl finds out she’s actually quite special” kind of film.
See. Told you, you’d seen it.
Now. You’ve seen it before, but have you watched it recently?
The Last Keepers is charming. It wins you over. It doesn’t offer you anything new and doesn’t challenge you in any way. But there is something about it that all gels together and brings you that exact same fuzzy feeling you didn’t know was missing till it gives you that hug.
The quirky teenager of The Last Keepers is Rhea Carver (Zosia Mamet). She’s an artist who has always felt out of her place in her small town high school. She lives with her reclusive (“strange”) parents, Abigail (Virginia) and John (Aidan Quinn) alongside her wise old Grandmother, Rosemarie (Olympia Dukakis).
It’s an odd life to live, but a peaceful one. Rhea is happy enough with her lot, she might not have the life of a normal teenager, but she’s happy enough. But, all that changes when she finds out she’s actually the latest in a long line of female mystics who possess ancient magical powers. Normally these powers manifest as Telekinesis, Visions or Healing, but Rhea seems to have command over all three – This insinuates that she might be “The Chosen One” of prophecy.
And that, of course, explains everything.
Rhea’s powers begin to get stronger, the family begin to realise that even within their own world that she’s displaying powers stronger and more powerful than is normal. Abigail has visions which lead her to be more protective over Rhea than she should be. There’s problems at school when her classmates realise there is something going on with Rhea which leads to accusations of her being a witch, not helped because she actually is a witch.
Rhea soon begins to feel the pressure and overwhelmed by it all, but with her family’s help and support she makes all the right choices, eventually, and embraces her destiny.
OK – So, that’s the broad strokes. There is a lot more to it than that but it’s all noise and melodrama, and you’ve seen it all before.
Virginia Madsen is superb form here. I’ve said before that she does this kind of role so well. But I sometimes take for granted how well she does it. In The Last Keepers it’s on display more than most other times just how layered she can make these roles. There is a warmth and a depth to Abigail that simply shines. The internal conflict she has over wanting the best for her daughter but at the same trying to protect her family’s legacy.
The whole cast is great to be fair, and I think that is one of the things that makes this film so charming. It’s really well done, for what it is.
(Also worth a little nod to the fact she’d work with Aidan Quinn a few years later in Elementary)
Is it groundbreaking? No.
Is it as cheesy as it gets? Yes.
Can you find a reason to hate on it? Doubtful.
Is it going to give you warm fuzzy feelings? Probably.
Am I writing this with a little too much light in my soul after watching it? Definitely.
This isn’t my cup of tea, and I probably won’t watch it ever again without reason. But I won’t ever knock it.
This is no doubt a film that has flown under too many people’s radars. It deserved better.
It’s hard to recommend the film as an adult, for an adult audience (as I assume most people reading this are) – BUT – If you have kids of a certain age who need to see a bit of good in the world then you can do far worse than watch this with them.
Availabilty:
Good. No problems at all finding this one on DVD. Blu-Ray is harder to find, seems like it was only relased in some countries this way and it’s also available on Amazon Prime, depending on your location and or access to a VPN.
Trailer:
| < Previous | Home | Next > |
