Great title, I will definitely give it that. Unfortunately the movie couldn’t live up to the great title that the movie hopes to be. Now, the movie isn’t by any means bad. It just sits in limbo, along with the characters in this unknown universe in the film, almost becoming pretty good but never really ascending to that greater level.
Patrick Fugit (of Almost Famous fame) stars as Zia who kills himself in the opening scene over a broken heart and finds himself in this limbo land for “off-ers”. Fugit does an admirable job most of the movie, but sometimes he mumbles and is just really weird and awkward and it doesn’t quite fit the tone of this weird movie. Anyways, Zia becomes a sort of adoptive son to the family of Eugene, all of his family members have killed themselves and live together in limbo, and they go about their everyday lives of drinking, working dead end jobs, not smiling, and griping over the things they lost in their lives.
Hope and a bit of excitement fills Zia when he finds out his girlfriend who he offed himself over has know offed herself over the loss of him. Love must conquer all, so Zia sets out with Eugene to find her outside of the “city.” The movie then divulges into a road movie through the wastelands and desert of this limbo universe and we encounter some interesting characters along the way.
Shea Whigham plays Eugene to great effect and plays an affective buddy to Zia as they drive around in there station wagon on their adventure. Shannyn Sossamon plays Mikal who they pick up hitchhiking as she tries to find the people in charge (PIC) so she can have her case heard; she isn’t supposed to be here. The three of them travel along finding weird destinations, a bit of confrontations, but ultimately find Tom Waits as Kneller who is fantastic.
The movie is full of great little bits through out, a great cameo at the end, and a very original premise, but it never knows if it wants to be really funny or if it’s a dramady; we really don’t know what it’s supposed to be. The movie shines brightest when it flashes to the how everyone offed themselves and these are usually best jokes the movie. What hurts it the most is that it is constantly in limbo of losing our interest but usually saves itself at the last minute.
Overall it is an admirable effort but feels like it wishes and wants to be more than it is. Maybe with a bigger budget it could have been, then again maybe not. A quirky, different, little movie that is worth a rental if you’re up for something out of the ordinary.
6.75/10
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Wristcutters is a great example of adaptation of story to film. But I bleieve the story is better, the jewel is the story... I have loved Edgar Keret from the moment he started writing stories and can recommend his collection of short stories "The Busdriver Who Wanted to Be God" (Toby Press $12.95)to anyone. The last story in this volume "Kneller's Happy Campers" is the story that Wristcutters was based upon. I am sure you'll enjoy Keret and will find everything in it that you enjoyed in the movie!