MovieChat Forums > Last Night (2011) Discussion > Eva Mendes character

Eva Mendes character

posted 9 years ago by PPerugini
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I just watched the film and while I found Joanna, Michael and Alex to be well rounded, I found Laura, the character played by Eva Mendes under-developed to say the least. I don't think this was Eva's fault, I believe this was a writer/ director's choice.
I think that maybe this was done on purpose… as if to suggest that while a woman (Joanne) needs to be emotionally connected to someone to cheat (therefore the backstory / love connection to Alex) a man (Michael) is driven by physical attraction to cheat, therefore Laura is just eye candy.
While the film clearly notes how Joanna and Alex "feel" about each other it only mentions Laura / Michael in terms of being attractive/ attracted. I was wondering if anyone else finds this a bit… cliché?: Girl wants to cheat with the one who got away while boy wants to cheat the minute he is alone with the hot girl… Just saying.

[–] sghoran78 9 years ago

I too found that a bit cliche. Would have been interesting if the gender roles were reversed, i.e. Joanna strayed because of a physical attraction and Michael was the one having the emotional affair. Would Michael have been as sympathetic as Joanna?

Overall the movie is a pretty depressing view of long-term monogamy.