
At its core this is a romantic comedy and a buddy road-trip film, and although it has plenty of adventure, love & sex and lots of laughs, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is heart-breaking as you pity the ways in which some of its characters squander the final days of their lives. It is also heart-warming in its portrayal of the dignified way that others choose to meet their end.
The film begins with the aptly named Dodge (Steve Carell) sitting in a car with his wife listening to a radio announcement that the world has failed in its last attempt to prevent a giant asteroid from striking the Earth and destroying it. They only have days to live and Dodge’s wife steps out of the vehicle and runs away, leaving him on the spot. The announcer then reminds the audience of the upcoming “End of the World Awareness Concert” and the tone is set for the rest of the movie.

Dodge is an insurance salesman who is obviously going to have to settle the biggest block of claims in history. He experiences seeing his friends and co-workers for their true selves and is depressed at what he feels has been his wasted life. He begins an unexpected friendship with one of his neighbors, a free-spirited young British woman named Penny (Keira Knightley), who he has lived by for three years but has never spoken to before.

The performances are fantastic in Seeking a Friend and Steve Carell stands out as a great dramatic actor. He has certainly joined the ranks of hilarious comedians, like Robin Williams and Jim Carrrey, who can also tug a heart-string given the right material. There are also cameos in this movie by Patton Oswalt, William Petersen, Rob Corddry and Martin Sheen.
They say that when you die your life flashes before your eyes, but let’s hope it’s not everything, or just the big things, but that it’s only the important things – like being fascinated by a spider, or your dog comforting you when you’re upset, or finding your true love – or enjoying a film as true and gratifying as this one.