Wristcutters
STARS: PATRICK FUGIT, SHANNYN SOSSAMON, SHEA WHIGHAM, WILL ARNETT, MIKAL P. LAZEREY, LESLIE BIBB, JOHN HAWKES, AND TOM WAITS
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY: GORAN DUKIC
RATED: R.
RELEASED: 2007
RUN TIME: 88 min.
An interesting love story twist on the afterlife of suicide victims. Zia (Patrick Fugit), is distraut by breaking up with his girlfriend Desiree (Leslie Bibb), so naturally he decides to kill himself and leave her guilt ridden.
Zia’s, suicide happens within the timeframe of the opening credits, so we jump right into the trippy purgatory afterlife real fast. He ends up in what’s basically an alternate version of life in a lackluster reality where people don’t smile, and flat beer is for breakfast. (Shot in beautiful downtown LA and parts of Victorville.) Zia, meets up with Russian rocker Eugene (Shea Whigham) at a local bar, and they quickly become friends. Zia soon finds out that his girlfriend Desiree has also killed herself. He and Eugene, then take off in Eugene’s piece or crap car looking for her. Along the way we find out that Eugene’s car has no working headlights, and there’s a black hole under the passenger seat. Yep a Black Hole!!!
They then meet up with “smoking hot” Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon), a hitchhiker looking for the “People in Charge.” Mikal provides a change of pace as she delivers the only uplifting performance along the journey. After literally running into Raife Kneller (Tom Waits), things change as they witness miracles happening in his Happy Camper’s campground. The journey continues to get bizarre as Eugene falls for a mute called Nanuk (Mikal P. Lazerey ), and the village idiot Yan (John Hawkes), claims that The King (Will Arnett), is holding Kneller’s dog hostage. Zia, Mikal, Kneller, and Yan all embark on a journey to see the huge miracle that Yan says will take place at the Kings castle, and set them all free.
Wristcutters, a Love Story, is a great romantic tale of innocent love beyond the veil of death, and how love can give us a second chance at life. I really enjoyed the performances in this film. I sure hope to see more from this cast, I loved to see (Deadwoods) John Hawkes, and Shea Whigham practically stole the film. Shannyn Sossamon was stunningly hot as Mikal, and Patrick Fugit really stood out as a seasoned talent. I can see him getting some bigger roles in the future. The film is a unique slice of death that has a great soundtrack and a original backdrop. I highly recommend it!
The Dvd, contains a “Making of the Final Cut, The Wristcutters Journey“, some great deleted scenes, a commentary by Director Goran Dukic, Patrick Fugit, Mikal P. Lazarev and Producer Tatiana Kelly, a Directors Storyboard Look-in , and a real cool montage of Patrick’s on set photo gallery set to some of the films great music. (Kick ass!)