Wristcutters: A Love Story Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Life is a trip, but the afterlife is one hell of a ride.
A film set in a strange afterlife way station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide.
| Patrick Fugit | Zia |
| Shannyn Sossamon | Mikal |
| Shea Whigham | Eugene |
| Tom Waits | Kneller |
| Will Arnett | Messiah |
| Leslie Bibb | Desiree |
| John Hawkes | Yan |
| Mikal P. Lazarev | Nanuk |
| Sarah Roemer | Rachel |
| Abraham Benrubi | Erik |
| Azura Skye | Tania |
| Nick Offerman | Max |
| Mark Boone Junior | Mike |
| Jake Busey | Brian |
| Clayne Crawford | Jim |
| Goran Dukic |
7.50 out of 10 (1173 votes)
Visitor Reviews
I watched this one for an unusual reason...
posted on 22 Jun 2009...said reason being that it was, to the best of my knowledge, the last film a buddy of mine saw before he dropped dead thanks to an abdominal aortic aneurysm at the age of fifty. Sure, that's a bit morbid, but so is "Wristcutters," surprise, surprise. Based on a short story by Israeli tale spinner Etgar Keret, Croatian auteur Goran Dukic's first feature film proves to be a low-key dark comedy that's much more watchable than I expected. You have to understand; my late friend was the prototypical example of what you would call a wet blanket, a party pooper, a "Pigpen". One would have thought, from his attitudes toward and behavior in life, that "Wristcutters" might have served as a "how-to" guide for him to off himself, but nothing could be further from the truth. Despite his cynicism and inarticulate rage against the world, his heart still beat with a need to love and be loved, and that is what I suspect drew him to a film like "Wristcutters." That, and low-fi indie fare was his favorite film entertainment.After being highly amused by the opening sequence of Patrick "Almost Famous" Fugit's antihero cleaning up his room, my viewing companion bailed at the revelation of his messy suicide. Understandable, but unfortunately she ended up missing out on a fair amount of gentle-though-dark humor and an ultimately life-affirming conclusion. Though hardly a classic, and not likely to attain much in the way of cult-film notoriety, "Wristcutters" has its charm, and is well worth a rental or lucky find at the public library. Its technical aspects are quite good, the acting is decent, the score and songs are appropriate (the presence of Tom Waits in a film is most always a good sign), and I was left looking forward to Mr. Dukic's next venture. Your mileage may, of course, vary, but my bet is that if you give this one a chance, you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was at how much you like it.
Zia cuts his wrists, he finds himself in an afterlife limbo.
posted on 31 May 2009I came out of the theater saying "wow". It is a movie like I have never seen before, and I loved every minute of it. This film was really well done. The cinematography was great, the acting was great. The idea was so original. The filmmakers did a terrific job about capturing the whole mood of this afterlife and the mood of suicide. They made a movie about a really hard subject to make a movie about. Everything about this film was done just right, and everything was done tastefully. Which surprised me. It is a shame this original piece of work does not get a more wide showing at least not at this point. But either way I highly recommend this film. I am glad I went to see this picture, and I can't wait till it gets put on DVD.
A very thoughtful movie that lacks drama and excitement
posted on 27 Apr 2009To be honest i really expected much from this movie, i expected a romantic drama with a bit of black or normal comedy that delivers a big message and stuff like that, and i pretty much expected a big tearjerker ending also. And after i saw this movie i was a little bit disappointed, it was a potential i would even dare to say masterpiece but it turned out a bit shallow in some (most) of its parts. Although they tried to put as much content as they can in a movie that lasts shorter than 90 minutes, and by doing that they greatly denied the drama which this movie just had to have. In moments 'Wristcutters: A Love Story' was even psychedelic, which isn't always a bad thing, but in these kind of movies that are unique by themselves in story and plot and even characters, you don't need much psychedelic parts, because movie can become pretty much "over the top" for some viewers after they see them, i was even on the edge of thinking that this movie was boring in some of those moments. Acting i thought was pretty good considering that the movie doesn't have much star actors, although some of the faces seemed very familiar. Character study which is obviously the main thing of this movie is pretty, and the idea of putting all the people who "off" themselves in one place (which is indeterminably big) is pretty thoughtful and unique, movie title is also pretty much controversial at least for some people and with that title movie is sure to attract much viewers, specially teenagers.
A Creatively Witty Movie
posted on 08 Mar 2009Life after death. This is no AFTER LIFE (1998), a Japanese version of life after death, but it has a dry wit that seems to capture the attention of one's mind and rumbling laughter. This low-budget picture captures some fascinating images of the this vision of the afterlife using some of the scenes from this real, alive life. The selection of eerie, odd broken down stuff is fun and delightful. Azura Skye, unfortunately doesn't get a large role in this movie, unfortunate just because of her past captivating minor roles that she has had in television and movies. Jake Busey's cameo also was also a treat. Overall this movie while entertaining seemed to operate on a low power level, never really accelerating into a deeply, involving, emotionally powerful connecting movie. The ending sequences seemed somewhat unnecessarily confusing, detracting somewhat. Nevertheless this movie remained true to its theme and presentation which most movie like this don't seem to manage. Most movies like this become more serious, darker in tone transforming the mood and breaking the magic. WRISTCUTTERS keeps its integrity much to the credit of the director and writer. Seven out of Ten Stars.
Who the hell likes being stuck in a place where you can't even smile? It's hot as balls, everybody's an asshole.
posted on 02 Mar 2009Now, this was a very strange movie.Zia (Patrick Fugit) is depressed over losing Desiree (Leslie Bibb) and slits his wrists. He ends up in a place where everyone is dead from suicide. Well, almost everyone. A friend, Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon) swears she is there by mistake and is trying to find the people in charge so she can go back.So, Zia, Mikal and Eugen (Shea Whigham) set off on adventure.You can't make sense of Goran Dukic's film. You just have to sit back and watch some good actors having fun in a funny movie. It is strange, but it is worthwhile.
Breath of fresh air.
posted on 03 Jan 2009Wristcutters is a little known film directed by Goran Dukic and loosely based on Etgar Keret's short story "Kneller's Happy Campers". It stars familiar faces like Patrick Fugit, best known for his role as a rock-music writer in the breakthrough film Almost Famous; and Shannyn Sossamon, from a Knight's Tale. Wristcutters is truly one of the most odd, yet most pleasant movies I have seen in a very long time.It shows us a strange afterlife way station reserved for people who have committed suicide. They live here, much like people living on earth. It is like a normal place. However, it lacks bright colors, smiles, flowers, and all that makes a place look lively. Just when you thought you had escaped it all by killing yourself, you land up in a place that makes you want to kill yourself again. But you don't, only fearing a place devoid of much more.Wristcutters succeeds without even trying. It is just too simple. To understand, to believe, to lose yourself with its flow. The story is simple enough. Zia, a 20-something who committed suicide by slashing his wrists after his girlfriend, Desiree, left him lands up in the afterlife where he becomes friends with Eugene, a Russian rock singer who's entire family has committed suicide. On learning that Desiree has killed herself too, the two set out to find her, in turn coming across Mikal, a girl who claims she is in the afterlife by accident, and is searching for the people in charge.Through the course of the one and half hours, the story takes a couple of turns. All realistic though. There was hardly anything in the movie that was predictable. The whole dull setting adds to the feel of the movie, which predominantly is very morose. The only bit of bright color we see comes from a matchstick at the station of the Angels. Yes, there are Angels too. Watch out for the miracles. It is like they say,"A miracle will only happen when you least expect it to. When you don't even think about it." The bit of music 'bad music' in the movie is really good with a Russian bloke singing "Through the roof and underground' with the lead characters singing along, out of tune, whilst in the car whose headlights don't work. The music is all over pleasant. Simple acoustic guitar solos, or the mouthorgan, maybe some piano. As simple as it can get. The acting is very down to earth. Tough roles really, because you cant even smile. Your face has always got to be straight. The acting is effective. Very well done.All over, Wristcutters is a short, sweet film to watch when you're feeling down, bored, and disgustingly depressed. It guarantees a smile on your face by the time it ends. If you can tolerate simplicity in its full, like good 'bad music', prefer seeing someone as pretty Shannyn Sossamon smile at the end of it all, watch Wristcutters. It will make your day.Wont rate this. Just a smile. A pleasant one.
A wild, wacky, enjoyable ride - you won't slit your throat in the middle of it
posted on 14 Dec 2008Sometimes we find beauty in the strangest places; and, remarkably for such a gruesome title, Wristcutters could probably be said to be a rather uplifting affirmation of life, hidden within a seriously quirky black comedy. Set in an afterlife reserved for people who commit suicide, it seems to contain wacky nuggets of truth from oddball characters including Zia, searching for the love of his life, Mikal, an accidental visitor, Eugene, a Russian musician that electrocuted himself on stage from being badly heckled, and the weird and wonderful Kneller, played by the ever-mysterious Tom Waits.Zia slits his wrists and promptly wakes up in a world resembling this one, except that the colours are rather washed out and nobody smiles. He abandons his job at Kamikaze Pizza to search for his former love Desirée, and soon makes close friends with Mikal and Eugene, who accompany him on one of the strangest road trips since Dorothy lost her innocence in the Wizard of Oz.What gives Wristcutters its edge, are the frequent, addictively interesting, and not immediately fathomable symbols that keep cropping up and nagging away like in any good movie that yearns for cult status: such as the black hole under the passenger seat where things just disappear. We just know that place - how many things have you lost there? Then there are people who are just far too weird to have been dreamt up on the back of a Hollywood paycheck: like the throat-singing mute, the dead-again messiah, or the policeman who still has a hole in his head.There is a temptingly meaningful logic at work that will leave you fitting the pieces together long after the film has finished. Explaining how to perform minor miracles to the lovelorn Zia, Kneller tells him: "As long as you want it so bad, it's not going to happen - the only way it's gonna work is if it doesn't matter . . . " We soon start looking for clues to this rather crazy world and here Mikal (played by the much under-rated Shannyn Sossamon) looks like a good bet - but then so does anyone if you let your imagination run wild enough.The religious orthodoxy behind the ultimate ideas of Wristcutters is a weakness, but it is put subtly and light-heartedly so will be inoffensive to most viewers.If the stars in your sky have gone out for a while, maybe treat yourself to this zany and very well-produced story to set them on fire again. Wristcutters - a Love Story is at once touching, hilarious, thought-provoking and a hugely enjoyable ride.
Great Twist
posted on 08 Dec 2008I liked this story because it's not your classic suicide story. Its takes the morbid taste of suicide and gives you a twisted perspective of life after death. It's creative in this way. For that, I credit its writers. The main characters are fun and believable and then there are a handful of side characters through out the movie that add a fun element to the film creating a unique charm. Despite that this movie is based on the tragedy of suicide it's not a horror movie at all but a dark comedy, you will find places to laugh. My favorite part is the black hole…for truth be told I think I knew a person who actually had one in there car. The movie has a lots of continuous odd events that occur through out it's entirely which leave you wondering just what will happen next.
The dog has spoken…Wristcutters: A Love Story
posted on 14 Nov 2008Goran Dukic's Wristcutters: A Love Story is indie cinema to the core. With a plot concerning life in purgatory—an adequate punishment being that it is life as usual, but a little worse—and a band of suicides (or off'd people) trying to find love, answers, and a way out, this film laughs at the mainstream and succeeds as a result. Everyone involved is a kooky, crazy character with little screen time yet large meaning. Zia just could not take it anymore and decides to end it all by slitting his wrists. He wakes up in the afterlife right where he was left, a crappy job, a boring life, and a rundown town. Upon finding that his girlfriend killed herself shortly after him, Zia begins a trek to find her with his new friend Eugene, a Russian who actually lives in purgatory with his parents and brother (suicide is in the genes). The journey meanders into the weird and the weirder as they pick up a hitchhiker named Mikal, a girl who believes she doesn't belong there, as they try to find a reason for existence, or non-existence as it were.The comedy is just off-kilter enough and the story full of quirks and a preciousness that works for it rather than against. I'd love to check out the short story "Kneller's Happy Campers" to see what kind of source material spawned this creation. While the story itself is unique and in a way very deep, delving into the philosophy of what life is, the director Dukic adds some visual flair and technique that only enhance it. Right from the start, with a long sequence involving Zia cleaning his messy room, only to end up killing himself upon completion, we know what is in store and also the craft that will be on display to show us everything that occurs. Not only that, but the final glimpse at the end of the scene speaks volumes of the messiness that life is, nothing is as clean-cut as one may initially anticipate. Zia goes through so much trouble to make his death perfect that it is only fitting for his final sight to be the two dust-bunnies he neglected to remove from the bathroom floor.The acting is stellar across the board. Our three leads all have the depth of character to make us believe the situation they are in. Patrick Fugit breathes a depression and confusion of whether he was happy or not in life with the role of Zia. He realizes that he might have made a mistake, but also knows he will need to live with that decision. Shea Whigham, as Eugene, is very funny and a lynchpin for the proceedings. His back and forth with Fugit gives life to the story and helps show the evolution that these displaced souls go through upon their quest to find the "People In Charge". As for Mikal, Shannyn Sossamon brings a beauty to an otherwise drab environment. In a world where people are unable to smile, her glow and drive to prove that she did not commit suicide knowingly is a welcome sight and crucial to Fugit's character finding out the answers for which he didn't even know he was searching.This central core is great, for sure, but it is all the small parts on the periphery that shine above everything. Small touches like the Joy Division song playing in the bar in purgatory, (it would be interesting to see if all the music, besides the opening Tom Waits song, was created by bands and artists who had also committed suicide), and the remnants of each person's death staying with their body show the care that went into the film. The lack of stars in the sky and really any sign of joy or happiness really envelope the characters and the audience with the necessary mood. And the supporting roles are absolutely brilliant with Waits himself bringing a level of gravitas to the film as the mumbling sage Kneller with more hidden in his actions that at first thought.**Spoilers Begin** Through all the success, there is one thing that really bothered me. Don't get me wrong, I loved the ending, it was fitting and perfect; this is subtitled "A Love Story" after all. What I can't accept are the consequences that the ending has on the rest of the film. If we are to believe that Zia does not end up dying, we must also come to the understanding that his girlfriend does not become friendly with the Messiah and subsequently kill herself. If this is true, then Zia does not begin his quest to find her in purgatory, thus negating him meeting Mikal in the afterlife, prompting him to return to reality. I guess one could argue that he waking up and falling for Mikal will ultimately lead his girlfriend into the arms of another man due to them breaking up, keeping the cycle alive in some regards, and maybe Waits' character removing his file from the suicide shelf helps to seal off this rift, I just can't quite wrap my head around accepting it fully. I am probably thinking about it too much, and unnecessarily for that matter, but I can't help it because that was the last scene, and it stays with me the most. **Spoliers End**With that said, though, I really liked this film. It had everything I look for in a movie, an escapist plot to a world unknown, characters with flaws and imperfections, dry humor and plenty of laughs, complete with a story that resonates and allows for intelligent conversation along with questions for each viewer to ask themselves about what they think the meaning of life could be. I will look past my one problem with the ending and tell myself that I enjoyed it fully and would recommend the film to anyone looking for something special and unlike anything else they may see on the video store shelves.
Afterlife ?
posted on 21 Oct 2008OK - I can see this movie trying to awake memories of Jim Jarmusch's "Stranger than Paradise" and a plethora of other road movies and the idea of a deserted Midwestern wasteland with special rules of living especially reserved for persons who have committed suicide is interesting and strange. However I still feel the ending is a cop out and they really should have come up with something better. Quirky ideas are sprinkled throughout which is sometimes amusing and sometimes just plain weird, but the music is very good. In choosing to view this you obviously shouldn't expect some standard road movie tale and laugh out loud moments, and be aware that although there is sort of a storyline it really doesn't make a lot of coherent sense.
Just an amazing piece of work
posted on 17 Oct 2008If you like dry humor, this movie will make your day! I'm a fan of Shaun of the Dead, the Monty Python films, and those types of dry humor. This film isn't as "slapsticky" as the other ones but boy did it make me laugh. My wife doesn't like dry humor and she fell asleep in the first 10 minutes. I kept waking her up by laughing so hard. I don't laugh too hard normally when watching movies these days, but this one did it! Great performances, and the writing was absolute genius. I know it was adapted from a short story but the additions that were added to the film really helped shape this movie. What a great movie. I really can't say enough about it. It's been a while since I saw a movie that I liked this much. 10 out of 10 for me!
love after death
posted on 01 Oct 2008We went to see this on a cold Saturday night in London where it was on as part of the Raindance Festival. It was a case of if something starts in the next 30 minutes we'll go otherwise get the bus home. Anyway from no expectations, I didn't even Tom Waits, a great fave of mine, was in it, we had a fantastic time. This is a lovely love story for those just cynical enough not to bother with anything too Hollywood but willing to believe that romance can exist. I won't tell you anything about the film as we enjoyed it all the more for not knowing just to say the cast was excellent the photography beautiful especially in capturing the land where the 'offed' people 'live' and it was quirky enough to make you think without being obtuse enough to make you wonder if it was being too clever clever. My lover and I both came out of the cinema glad we had decided to give it a go and hope that it gets a decent release in the UK and willing to buy the DVD when it comes out.
Enlightening
posted on 19 Sep 2008Where do we end up when we die? What type of hell do we go to if we've "offed ourselves" as the characters in WRISTCUTTERS say? This fanciful movie opens with Fugit's character Zia organizing, cleaning, and straightening his room, readying himself for his death. In the blink of an eye, we see Zia's body on the floor of the bathroom, blood everywhere, and we're transported to a world which is hot, dull, endless, and sad. Zia discovers that everyone in this world has offed themselves, and the physical traits remain. Zia offed himself because of intense sadness caused by his girlfriend Desiree. He's befriended by Eugene, whose whole family is there. There days are filled with drinking, doing odd jobs, and trying to make the time pass. But Zia discovers that his girlfriend has committed suicide and he's on a mission to find her. With Eugene, they roadtrip ... to nowhere, searching for the woman and meet Mikal, who is also on a search, for the PIC: People in Charge. The film follows these characters as they search for something, someone to fill the void that they had when they were alive. The film is well shot with great music and tender moments. The only negative about the film is the writing. It would have been much more interesting to see an arc in Fugit's character, instead, it's rather straightline as everyone around him changes.
A wealth of humour aptly masked in gloominess
posted on 15 Sep 2008This is a creative treat that, while boasting of no discernible insight or idealist film-making ambitions, manages thoroughly entertaining – perhaps it is due to the aforementioned low-key approach that Wristcutters fares so well. Balkan director Goran Dukic combines the best of offbeat indie cinema with 'traditional' dark humour, making the film appropriately edgy but never tipping over into 'desperately quirky' like so many "festival type films" fall prey to.In fact, when I sneaked in as a volunteer to a screening during the Stcokholm International Film Festival, the manager presented the film as one of his personal favourites of 2006. This should serve as a mark of its success and indeed I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had. This is highly ironic since both the style and substance of Wristcutters are unspeakably gloomy and sad. Much credit it due to Dukic for making something as tragic as suicide victims into laugh-out-loud catalysts.But the film perhaps belongs to Patrick Fugit who inhabits the protagonist Zia – a young man who slits his wrists in the first scene of the film and ends up in a 'suicide limbo' of sorts, where all people who have taken their own lives are banished. I say 'banished' because this afterlife is an unreasonably gloomy, grey and grainy nowhere-place that is captured remarkably through a seemingly colourless lens that aptly emphasizes the mundane and depressing state. There are barren industries and vast stretches of desert – nothing else. Oh and no one smiles. Ever.Zia leads a dull life in this post-apocalyptic hole until one day he finds out that his ex-girlfriend on earth has also committed suicide and ought to be in the same place as him. He sets out on a road-trip with his friend Eugene (a superbly funny Shea Whigham) – a Russian immigrant who lives with his whole family of suicide victims and soon the two are joined by a beautiful newcomer and hitchhiker (Shannyn Sossamon) who claims she got here "by mistake" and is now trying to rectify it by finding the people in charge.Although much fun is to be found in the creatively barren setting, the central triumvirate is possibly one of the most dynamic mix of characters on film in recent years, no hyperbole. Shea Whigham is gloriously hard-boiled and hilarious as Eugene the Russian and enables the director Dukic to reconnect with his Slavic roots. It is both admirable and puzzling that the film manages so funny without resorting to laughter or smiles (there are two smiles throughout the movie, seriously).But 'Wristcutters' has problems: it remains a shallow look at an infinitely more layered issue, suicide. It explores no characters to depth nor does it ever bring up what drove them to taking their own life in the first place. In this way, no interesting philosophical notions are navigated and no insights or messages come through other than an overriding 'Pro-Life' attitude – Pro-Life being for living and against suicide which is punished by an eternity in a perpetually gloomy state, a subtle hell of creative proportions.Thankfully it avoids most of its shortcomings by simply being short and sweet. Of course, this renders Wristcutters: A Love Story an ultimately forgettable little indie romp.7 out of 10
Not the breakout indie I was hoping for, but one of the most original films I've seen lately.
posted on 25 Jul 2008I just got back from seeing Wristcutters: A Love Story at the Drexel Gateway with Brett. I was really looking forward to seeing this because ever since I saw Brick last year, I've been waiting for another quirky film to explode out of Sundance. And this year Wristcutters: A Love Story and Teeth seemed like the most likely candidates.Wristcutters definitely had its share of quirk, but I have a feeling it's not going to find the cult following that fuels an indie hit. I just don't think it's accessible enough.The story follows Zia (Patrick Fugit) in his quest through a bizarre afterlife occupied only by suicides to find his ex-girlfriend, Desiree (Leslie Bibb). This was obviously a difficult and controversial premise to approach, and that may have been why I had such high hopes for it. To deal with the dark subject matter, director Goran Dukic necessarily took a comic approach. However, the humor imitated the stale ambiance of the film's setting. Although it had its moments, the audience I saw it with seemed to reach only sharp chuckles rather than roll-on-the-ground laughter.It was difficult to judge performance when, as part of the films premise, the characters don't smile. But I was impressed by newcomer Shannyn Sossamon who plays Mikal, a hitchhiker who joins Zia and his "sidekick" Eugene (Shea Whigham) on their odyssey.Overall I did enjoy Wristcutters. I can't say it was all that I hoped for though: as the story progressed it just got more bizarre where I thought it should grow funnier. The ending, however, was stellar. I don't want to give it away, but I'll just say that somehow in the last scene two characters poured out their souls without ever saying a word. If you can do this, as a filmmaker you must be doing something right.http://meisterboo.blogspot.com
A fantasy comedy loosely based BUT uncredited on OUTWARD BOUND
posted on 12 May 2008In the late 1920's Sutton Vane wrote a play called OUTWARD BOUND about a group of people who passed on, including a few suicides. It was made into a movie of same title in 1930 & then again in 1944 under the title BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, Each version was a heavy fantasy drama with little comedy,Now in 2006 Gorin Dukis wrote a screenplay based on a short story. The author of the short story must have been influenced by the original, & since the play is in public domain freely adapted it. Gorin Dukas directed this very funny fantasy creating humorous situations out of something quite serious.By casting little or unknown actors is these somewhat different characters & situations, a very funny & also very tender romantic comic fantasy has been created,The settings seem & are very bizarre & actually very beautiful. The cast which has as its leads Patrick Fugit,Shaannyn Sossamon,Shea Whigham & featuring among others Tom Waits, Will Arnett & Leslie Bibb.The running time is a brief 88 minutes, it also has a very good song score, many of you know that I generally detest song scores. this one fits. Its from Sundance so it probably will be on that cable channel soon or rent the DVD. I doubt that you will be sorry you did,It is a good film & the ending is a pleasant but obvious twist,just like the play & films mentioned above, Look up Between two Worlds for its all star big name (many still familiar today) cast.Ratings: *** (out of 4) 82 points (out of 100) IMDb 7 (out of 10)
Classical Hollywood storyline, indie-fied.
posted on 28 Apr 2008Warning! Major Spoiler! I feel this film is a funkified version of, in essence, a classical Hollywood story. The plot is drawn by the active goal oriented protagonist (Zia trying to find Desiree, his ex-love, in the suicide world), fueled by desire (his ex-love), who in the pivotal moment has to make a decision (new girl Mikal or old girl Desiree), comes to a realization (I love Mikal!) and ultimately changes (accepts his situation, lets himself fall into the black hole, ultimately comes back etc). The film also has a pretty strong sense of ending closure and the narration tends to be objective.In essence these elements are all found in the ol' Hollywood formula. The film's style, however, reeks of indie all over. The offbeat dark humor, free flowing, low budget road trip section, and fantastical characters and situations may not always appeal to the mass Hollywood audience. Furthermore, while the girl and the guy do find each other again in the end (and presumably fall in love again), it is not because both characters fought obstacles to remain with each other. Mikal clearly leaves Zia in the suicide world to have another chance in the world she left behind. Even though they wake up in the same hospital room, look at each other, and light up with a knowing smile, Mikal still has ultimately abandoned her love to pursue her own self-serving goal. This hint of disappointment and satire so close to the end of the film perhaps encompasses a more accurate and whole view on the complexity of sacrifice and individuality in relationships. This overall uplifting yet slightly unsettling end would surely be shunned within the happy-end-hungry Hollywood formula where love the invincible beams brightly at the end of every tunnel.Overall, despite its Hollywood and non-Hollywood elements, I deeply enjoyed this film and would love to see it again. Its dark humor tickled me just the right way from the very beginning and its zany happenings kept me involved throughout. I would definitely recommend this film to others who enjoy the struggle between hope and cynicism, laughter and disconcertment.
A lovely and enjoyable movie!!!
posted on 18 Apr 2008To be honest I usually get bored with dramatic and romantic movies. I often feel them to be, well, pretentious and tacky. And predictable. I'm really more of an action-, scifi- and horror movie kinda guy really! But I figured that with the scores this movie has been given here on the IMDb - it must be at least decent. I can always turn the movie off in disgust and disappointment otherwise - right?Right... The thought never crossed my mind as I was watching this movie! It is funny in a mellow kind of way, awkward and holocaustic while it still remains true and warm in its presentation of the people inhabiting this afterlife way station. There were no cheap shots, no massive special effects to cover up any lack of intrigue in the plot, no "BS" what-so-ever. The acting is very good most of the time, and the whole movie feels "honest". It's simply a movie built up around the story and characters and it's really well done! It catches you in warm embrace and holds you firmly until the end, leaving a you with a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside. (Now THAT'S tacky! I keep telling people that drama is hazardous to you. See what I mean...? *blushing*)You really should see this movie though. It truly is lovely and very enjoyable to watch. Just don't tell anybody I said anything about any fuzzy feelings and stuff, will you...
Original, unusual, and yet encumbered by its own concept...
posted on 18 Apr 2008Goran Dukic penned this adaptation of Etgar Keret's novella "Kneller's Happy Campers" and also directed the film, a dark-hued indie romance with comedic and dramatic themes concerning an after-life for suicides. Patrick Fugit is very good as a new arrival to this separate universe for people who have "offed" themselves: a hot, dry, rural place where nobody smiles and the most interesting thing to ask is "So, how did you do it?" Fugit finds out his former girlfriend killed herself soon after he died, and so sets out on a journey to find her with the help of Russian pal Shea Whigham. They pick up nonchalant hitchhiker Shannyn Sossamon along the way (she's convinced she's here by mistake), eventually coming upon a desert community of misfits who perform indifferent miracles. Combination road movie/fantasy/love story is certainly spiked by its morbid side and yet is stifled by the unusual concept. We never learn the rules of this new game, the boundaries of what can be done and where residents can go. The conceit of a black hole underneath Whigham's car is silly, even for this scenario, and the movie comes to a standstill in the third act with a new Messiah who promises to perform the ultimate task. Still, the relationship between the three principals is shaggy and funny, and Sossamon (who looks like a young Joan Jett) has a sometimes-tough, sometimes-plaintive manner which is attractive. An occasionally interesting and engaging stab at something different--too bad the many, many producers felt the need to go with that title, however, which may have doomed the movie's chances at the box-office. **1/2 from ****
Although dark, oddly uplifting
posted on 12 Jul 2009Bleak film of death and a depressing afterlife. Lots of nice little touches, like with the music - you only pick up on it after talking with people about it. From what I understand not completely faithful to the book, although I didn't read it. Good humor, oddly uplifting due to the romance. Saw this at Sundance this year, was one of the 3 best we saw. Patrick Fugit was brilliant. Shannon was also strong. If you like dark films, you won't be disappointed. Can't comment on technical aspects of film, since i'm not in the industry.Summary: Great cast, good writing. Fun times by all.