Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Apparently not every apocalypse comes with military warfare or outer-space invasions.

Instead, the offbeat satire Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a calmer and mellower end-of-days story that offers a character-driven antidote to the typical disaster scenario.

The concept is stronger than the execution, however, in this bittersweet story of lost souls finding comfort in one another in dire circumstances. It features solid performances amid a wobbly script by rookie director Lorene Scafaria, who also wrote the verbosely titled Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.

The story is set in the near future, when Dodge (Steve Carell) is a fledgling insurance salesman whose wife leaves him after learning that an asteroid will collide with Earth in less than three weeks.

That leaves Dodge in a state of isolation, something he shares with Penny (Keira Knightley), a free-spirited neighbor who ditches her musician boyfriend (Adam Brody) agrees to accompany him on a road trip in search of his high school sweetheart.

She’s an optimist, he’s a pessimist, and each has residual family issues that they feel the need to resolve in the days leading up to impending doom. The journey is filled with various quirky characters and bizarre observations – with a cheery roadside-diner sequence as a highlight – eventually leading Dodge and Penny to establish an emotional connection as the end draws near.

Carell shines in his latest turn as a lovable loser, following on the heels of Dinner for Schmucks and Crazy Stupid Love. Knightley adds some spice to her performance as the more mysterious of the two leads, even if their chemistry is never exactly convincing.

Scafaria’s modestly amusing screenplay includes some appealing characters and potent one-liners, but also features an abundance of cutesy contrivances. It manages, however, to blend elements of everything from romantic comedy to domestic drama fairly seamlessly.

Still, the story drags somewhat in the middle, and becomes more predictable as it goes along before stumbling through an awkward finale that doesn’t offer sufficient emotional payoff.

The film’s conjecture about the world’s end is hardly provocative, and that’s not the point. Those looking for scientific or astronomical authenticity should probably go elsewhere.

Rated R, 101 minutes.