Final Cut (1998) Reviews

A man forces his friends to take a long, hard look at themselves in this unconventional British drama. Shortly after the death of Jude (Jude Law), his partner Sadie (Sadie Frost) invites a number of their friends to a wake at her apartment, where they gather to watch footage from a video documentary that Jude had been working on at the time of his death. The guests are shocked to discover that the "documentary" consists of hidden camera footage showing nearly every one of them at their worst. Several of the men are caught snorting cocaine, while another rummages through Sadie's laundry basked for her soiled underwear. Holly (Holly Davidson) takes money from the purse of her friend Lisa (Lisa Marsh), while Holly complains about her unsatisfying sex life with her husband John (John Beckett), who is confined to a wheelchair. John, meanwhile, is caught consorting with a prostitute. Eventually, the long parade of foul images of drug abuse, infidelity, and broken promises concludes with Jude making love with Lisa, which leads to his death at the hands of her husband Ray (Ray Winstone). Final Cut marked the debut of directorial duo Dominic Anciano and Ray Burdis, both of whom also act in the film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi