THE LAST GOOD TIME

Within the safe haven of his structured life, retired violinist Joseph Kopple (Armin Mueller-Stahl) is content with spending his days cleaning his small Brooklyn apartment and visiting his old friend Howard (Lionel Stander). Despite the advances of his kindly neighbor Ida (Maureen Stapleton), Joseph instead finds comfort in recollecting his late wife's sensuous dance in front of of a fireplace 50 years earlier. That is until Charlotte Zwicki (Olivia d'Abo) comes to see him after seeking refuge from her abusive boyfriend. Bolstered by their evolving friendship, Joseph finds the courage to create a few more special memories in the present that challenge his own recollections of a wonderful past. Balaban's film, which won the audience prize for Best Film and Best Director at this year's Hamptons' Film Festival, is about overcoming the barriers of age and sex and the possibility of change at any point in life.-Portland Film Festival