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Movie Description
If a film begins with a suicide, chances are, it won't be the feel-good movie of the year. But WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY is surprisingly sweet and funny even as it proudly features a dark streak that lives up to its title. After a rough breakup, Zia (Patrick Fugit) decides to off himself by slashing open his wrists. Instead of waking up in heaven or hell, Zia arrives in a bland world that looks a lot like the one he just left, though with far less color, life, and--obviously--happiness. In this afterlife reserved for suicides, no one can smile, and the sky is a starless void. But when Zia hears that his ex-girlfriend (Leslie Bibb) has killed herself and lives in his world, he sets out on a road trip to find her. Joined by Russian musician Eugene (Shea Whigham) and pretty hitchhiker Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon), Zia crosses the desolate landscape and encounters a variety of strange characters. With the help of Mikal, Zia realizes that maybe his ex-girlfriend isn't really what he's looking for.
Most films don't stray from prescribed genres or simple plots, but this dark comedy from director Goran Dukic is audacious in its originality. Dukic adapted Etgar Keret's short story "Kneller's Happy Campers" into a film that succeeds on every level. His cast, particularly Fugit and a brilliant Tom Waits in a supporting role, is worthy of the excellent material and blackly comic dialogue. Though it could be described as a romantic comedy, this film is far closer to ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND than SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE. WRISTCUTTERS's soundtrack is also something to sing about with several infectious tracks from Gogol Bordello and a pitch-perfect score from Bobby Johnston.
Industry Reviews
"The whole film is cracked, but in a stylish, downtown way..." -- Grade: B+
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (10/26/2007)
3 stars out of 5 -- "[A] dark-hued road movie that plays like Jarmusch crossed with Bergman."
Total Film - Neil Smith (11/01/2007)
"[The film] has an offbeat, absurdist charm that turns a potentially creepy conceit into an odd, touching adventure."
New York Times - A. O. Scott (10/19/2007)
3 stars out of 5 -- "[The characters'] shared recognition of the comic melancholy rings true. As entertaining as it is moving, and occasionally hilarious..."
Empire - Empire Staff (10/19/2007)
"[T]he film is tinged with a kind of thoughtful melancholy....Small outbreaks of quirky magic lighten the mood in Charlie Kaufman fashion."
Sight and Sound - Kate Stables (12/01/2007)
4 stars out of 5 -- "It's a well-written road movie....This deadpan comedy-romance is big on quirkiness and has a big heart."
Ultimate DVD - Jason Caro (05/01/2008)
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