I 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
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