June 19, 2012 | 12:07 am

Review: ‘Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World’

Posted by Joan Alperin-Schwartz

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First, the perks about knowing that planet Earth will no longer exist in 21 days…

At the office, every day is now casual Friday…You can have mindless sex without worrying about disease or incest and…when asked, ‘What are you doing the rest of your life’, you can respond in one sentence or less.

That’s right folks, it’s another ‘end of days’ movie…There were several of them in 2011 as you know.  Hope someone isn’t trying to tell us something…

In this new, farewell to Mother earth film, Matilda, a 70 mile asteroid, is headed toward our planet and we have just three weeks to do…whatever the hell we want to do…before it’s all over.

Of course, for Dodge (Steve Carell) an insurance salesman, who’s spent his whole life playing it safe, that means…having some ‘me’ time, trying to fire his cleaning lady and thinking about all the women that got away…including his wife…who just left him.

His neighbor, Penny on the other hand, a spontaneous, extroverted, free spirit seems to be spending her last weeks on earth, fighting with her boyfriend (Adam Brody) and crying over not being able to join her family in England..

‘Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World’, written and directed by Lorene Scafaria (‘Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist’) is a funny, disturbing and touching film, about ordinary people dealing with…an extraordinary situation….

Dodge expects to spend the next three weeks alone in his apartment, but then two very unexpected things happen…

He winds up rescuing a dog and Penny knocks on his door with a lost letter…A letter that could alter Dodge’s future: It’s from his high-school sweetheart, Olivia, the love of his life.

When a riot breaks out around their apartment building, Dodge realizes that he must seek Olivia out before it’s too late, while Penny makes the decision to somehow return home across the seas.

Dodge promises to help Penny, (seems he knows a guy with a plane)if she’ll take him in her car to see Olivia.  She agrees and off they go…Yes the dog is with them.

On the road, this odd ball couple go on a journey…a physical as well as an emotional one.

They share their personal history with each other…visit old friends…and spend time with people who all have their own unique way of handling this once in a lifetime event. 

‘Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World’ is about the importance of human connection…How we can handle anything, if we have someone special to share it with…Even the end of the world.

I loved this film and gave it 4 bagels out of 5. I thought about it long after I left the theatre and you will too.

Check out our video to meet our four legged star, Mango, hear John’s thoughts, more of mine and to find out his bagel rating.

‘Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World’ opens in theatres, Friday June 22, 2012.