This film is far before its time. It's a quirky hipster indie film that pre-dates the current crop of quirky hipster indie films, it's a Wes Anderson film before Wes Anderson and it's an "emo" protagonist before anyone had ever heard of the term. The premise is bizarre to the point of surreal - a fake-suicidal death-obsessed teen has an affair with a criminally joyous elderly lady, going on wild adventures and alienating the regular folk around them whose attempts to understand them are equally as comical. It veers so far into extremes and caricatures that I don't think it's even trying to impart any philosophy of living life to the fullest, just some insane characters taking the audience on a zany ride whether they like it or not, all to the beat of cheery retro classics.
Review of Harold and Maude
