WRISTCUTTERS (Goran Dukic, 2007, USA) A dark and humorous travelogue through purgatory as one man searches for his ex-girlfriend who committed suicide shortly after him. Zia is wonderfully portrayed by Patrick Fugit (who looks just like Jeff Tweedy!) and his cohort Eugene adds the gallows humor and sarcasm. The viewer becomes immediately empathetic to both characters and this is the fuel that powers the movie: Neither is lost in self-pity nor whinny philosophical rants but just accept this dreary afterlife as-is. What I found delightful was the fact that the character’s pointless and humdrum activities were no different than in life; they worked meaningless jobs, spent their nights at the local bar drinking and screwing, and were full of the same anxieties and moral dilemmas. The film never gets bogged down in nihilistic musings or Christian dogma. Eventually Zia and Eugene hit the road attempting to locate Desiree and meet some colorful and interesting people along the way, including gravelly-voiced Tom Waits. WRISTCUTTERS is an interesting concept and enjoyable little film although I thought the ending trite. (B)
It's funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you viddy them on the screen.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
WRISTCUTTERS (Goran Dukic, 2007, USA) A dark and humorous travelogue through purgatory as one man searches for his ex-girlfriend who committed suicide shortly after him. Zia is wonderfully portrayed by Patrick Fugit (who looks just like Jeff Tweedy!) and his cohort Eugene adds the gallows humor and sarcasm. The viewer becomes immediately empathetic to both characters and this is the fuel that powers the movie: Neither is lost in self-pity nor whinny philosophical rants but just accept this dreary afterlife as-is. What I found delightful was the fact that the character’s pointless and humdrum activities were no different than in life; they worked meaningless jobs, spent their nights at the local bar drinking and screwing, and were full of the same anxieties and moral dilemmas. The film never gets bogged down in nihilistic musings or Christian dogma. Eventually Zia and Eugene hit the road attempting to locate Desiree and meet some colorful and interesting people along the way, including gravelly-voiced Tom Waits. WRISTCUTTERS is an interesting concept and enjoyable little film although I thought the ending trite. (B)
