Nothing Lasts Forever (1984)

Wow! This Film is A Classic that should be in the Hall of Cinema Masterpieces! I think the best way to describe this Film is to say that it is A Parable, wrapped in an Allegory, that is stuffed into an Enigma. At face Value one could Assume that this Film is Droll, but we must dig Deeper to what Lies Beyond the Surface. That being said, if you Love Cinema & Film, watch this Movie Now! Do Not read any reviews that can Contain Spoilers because that could quite possibly Rob You of this wonderful experience.SPOILERS: This Film is A Tale of Adam, A False Piano virtuoso, Who at the Start of the film, Can bear this Heavy weight No More! And, Reveals that He (and the Group He works for) are shysters. After this tumultuous beginning for our Main Character he Sets out on his journey, not knowing what Road Lies before him. Well shortly there in A Kind Hearted soul helps Guide him, to A Proper Path, to Become an Artist! This Leads him to Return to The United States, Specifically New York City, which appears to be the 1930s (which through out this film invokes the mystique of The Golden Age of Cinema). There is a Totalitarian Presence felt as Adam must Supply Papers for A Second time when entering the city. This is where the social commentary Starts to Take off in this Film.Adam is told he must produce "Art" and bring it to A "Government Art office", within 48 Hours, other wise he will be deported. Shortly There after Adam Stays with his Aunt and Uncle temporarily. Now the Film from now on Screams at us through allegory. We first see this as Adam arrives and we are first introduced to them, while Concordantly we see they are holding A Party. His Aunt, uncle, and their Whole social Class, do nothing but put on heirs. Through the way they Act and Talk, and also through Symbolism within the Film. When we see individuals put on heirs there are either masks, Statues, or Objects behind them which gives the individuals Horns.Next within the Plot Adam goes to the Government Art Office where they Keep on demanding that he presents Art. Yet, Adam Keeps on telling them that he wants to be an Artist, but currently knows No Art. Well A Supervisor comes by and next thing we know Adam must Take an Art Test, which by the way is to Draw A Nude women in only 3 minutes (Which is Ludicrous)! This is an Absolute Brilliant allegory upon several Areas of society. In One Instance it is talking about how society tries to identify select Few things as Art, which correlates to the Smug, pompous, Elitism that we witnessed moments Prior at the Party with the earlier scene. It is also talking about how in all walks of life, society will try to Label an Individual, to A Set Construct, as to define A Person as A Set thing, rather than defining A Person as the essence which is their inherent being. No Two People are alike so why does Society try to make it that way through Brute force? Alas he Fails the test (According to Societies Standards) and is Given A Job so he can Stay in the city. The Job by the way is a Cross between a Toll booth/Border Patrol in a Sense. Well here Adam Meets the Women he saw Before, to whom he had to draw Nude, and he Befriends Her. He Joins her after work and goes to an Under Ground Art Area, which is also A Cafe. Well from here on out She becomes his Love interest (Temporarily) while also being A Tutor for him for what Society calls "Art". which Again is A Brilliant Conversation on Society. No One Can Tell You what Art is for it Lies within the Eye of The Beholder. Some People may Love A Certain Piece of Art, or Style, or Type; where as others will absolutely Hate it. Technically all inner Artistic expressions of Man is Art! No One can say it is Not! Now for the film to have Adam become an Artist, by repeating what others do, and going by what others say is an Incredibly Deep and Intelligent Joke.Through Out the Film Adam Does Acts of kindness which eventually leads him to A Secret Society. Which when he once First Enters the film Slowly becomes Color. This is to signify that he is Getting A New Great Understanding. Now The Film Brilliantly shifts things and At First Glance it appears that this group is actually an occult at Face value, that is until Adam Goes into The Inner Sanctum. We Find out that he has entered A Spiritual Plane and that Vile, Carnal desires of the Physical plane had to be Burned off to purify him. He is then Told that the people there are spiritual helpers who help guide people on The Right Path. For Man is like a Lost Child who Pursues Power, Money, and things that do not matter. Which Speaks Volumes for Societies come and Go over Time, again, and again. Which now is an Intelligent Play on The Title of the Film.We Basically Learn that All Life is Important, and that Materialism is A Total Waste. Next we Find Out that Adam Has A True Love, who lives on The Moon. So Basically the Film is saying, "Life may not Go as how we have Planned, but if we do that which is right, we will have A Wonderful Life! Yes... that which is most Important, Love, May appear to be as far as away as the moon, but if we are Good, and have Faith, Love will help Guide us, it will Lead us, and above all else Give us that which is most Important of All, True Love".

I had wanted to see this movie for years, but until just recently it was next to impossible to see, never getting an official release. But it finally popped on TV, and I made sure to record and watch it. After seeing it, I can only say, "Strange... very strange..." Note that I didn't say it's an *awful* movie. The production design is very good, managing to capture the look and feel of movies made forty or so years earlier. And it's so offbeat that you can't help but be curious enough to stick with it in order to see how things will work out. But the problem is that the movie concentrates more on being strange than working to have strong characters and a solid story. Eventually I got somewhat tired of the movie. But if you are a fan of strange major Hollywood studio movies, it is definitely a must see. And it's unlikely a movie like this would get made today by a major Hollywood studio, so you might want to grab the chance to see this rarity.

What is it about the 1980s and really bad films? This cinematic misfire manages to ignore all the implied requirements of good filmmaking such as plot, decent acting, a cohesive storyline, and believable characters. The main problem with this movie is that it doesn't know what it wants to be: is it a dystopian future, a satire about consumerism, an allegory about capitalism, a fractured romance, a cautionary fable about oppressive government oversight, a musical? It tries and fails to be any of these things. Dan Akroyd appears for about two minutes of welcome comic relief. Bill Murray's role is a little more substantial, but not enough to rise above the cheap special effects or ultimate pointlessness of the trip to the moon so the seniors can buy things. See, when you push satire on an audience, you need to nurture relatable elements and draw them as broad allegories with which the viewer can connect; excellent writing can accomplish this, even with the obviously limited budget of a film like this; Terry Gilliam knows how to do this with films such as Brazil, my go-to example for an effective presentation of dystopia. We can connect with Sam because he's caught up in a bureaucratic nightmare. In Nothing Lasts Forever, we're given a never-ending parade of disconnected elements that don't form a cohesive whole or relate to anything. On top of all that, Zach Galligan's limited range renders an unconvincing hero, one who, by the way, doesn't learn anything other than how to play the piano. Yes, you read that right, that's the whole point of this film. He learns to play the piano.I had never heard of this film until I saw it on TV last night. Someone rightfully decided to bury this piece of junk, and it should have stayed buried. It's not the worst film ever made, but it's hard to imagine that, somewhere along the line, the people who worked on it didn't stop to realize they were laboring over mediocrity.

It is rare that you find a film that is truly unique, but NOTHING LASTS FOREVER is one of those films. It looks at times like a 'thirties romance, at others like a 'fifties B-movie, but plays like neither. Clever, witty dialogue is spiced up with pretty songs, and Zach Galligan is surprisingly likeable as the aspiring artist in a surreal New York. Although in many ways a slight and insubstantial film, its gentle, off-the-wall charm makes it a quite unforgettable viewing experience. After all, how many other films have you seen recently featuring an Hawaiian dance routine set on the moon?