On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 125/214 |
Max Braden |
Surreal, a hint of Beetlejuice but a fairly different view of the afterlife than we've seen in movies. The black hole under the car seat cracked me up. |
BOP’s beloved little William Miller is all grown up. Almost Famous star Patrick Fugit’s latest work has a decidedly adult theme. The title is your big hint. Yes, Fugit’s character, Zia, does slit his wrists. In fact, this is the first thing he does in the movie. Soon afterward, he finds himself transported to a special type of purgatory exclusively for those who have foolishly ended their own lives. Similar to Showtime’s short-lived television series, Dead Like Me, Zia discovers that the after-life ain’t free. He is forced to find gainful employment at Kamikaze Pizza and find a place to live, just as that show’s heroine, George, did. In point of fact, Zia quickly realizes that his post-suicide existence is even worse than the one he tried to escape through the titular wrist-cutting.
The young man’s strange existence takes a turn for the surreal when he encounters a former Russian rock star named Eugene (no, it doesn’t sound particularly Russian) whose entire family has somehow found their way to this quirky Suicide City. Then, Zia finds out that the woman he loved and lost – the very reason he was willing to kill himself - is also recently deceased. He gets the idea that his after-life will be greatly improved if he can find her and resolve their relationship. So, Eugene and Zia embark on a road trip from Purgatory. Along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker named Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon) and the three of them attempt to reach the fortress of the Messiah. Along the way, Eugene falls for Mikal while she develops feelings for Zia, and each of them begins to develop an appreciation for what it means to live, even after dying.
Wristcutters: A Love Story is based on a short story called Kneller’s Happy Campers (Tom Waits portrays Kneller in the movie), which has already been developed into a graphic novel entitled Pizzeria Kamikaze. The movie will not be based on the comic, but is an adaptation of the short story. It has received some attention on the indie film circuit and appears likely to become an existential cult classic. (David Mumpower/BOP)
|
|
|
|
Tweet
