The Last of the High Kings

In 1977 Dublin, a teen (Jared Leto) just out of high-school deals with his eccentric family, girls, and the death of Elvis Presley, as his future looms before him.

The Last of the High Kings (Summer Fling in the USA) is a solid but unfocused drama highlighted by some good performances.

All the performers are good. Jared Leto carries the film well and makes the best of a script that doesn’t give him a whole lot to do. Supporting Leto, Catherine O’Hara channels Maureen O’Hara (no relation) as Leto’s character’s mother, while Christina Ricci and Gabriel Byrne get third and forth billing for little more than extended cameos. Finally, Colm Meany, whose presence is apparently mandatory for any film set in Ireland, also gives a nice turn as a local politician.

The problem with The Last of the High Kings is its lack of focus. The film tries to be many things: a coming of age story, a teen drama, a nostalgia piece, a look at the politics and prejudices of Ireland, a cautionary tale of a boy finding his way without a father, but in trying to be everything it excels at nothing, and as a result, lacks any resonance after the credits roll.