Wristcutters

Wristcutters: A Love Story

Directed by: Goran Dukic

Starring: Patrick Fugit

Genre: Independent/ Comedy

Run Time: 88 min.

Release Date: November 2007

On The Web: Official Site

Teaser: Movie Trailer

Reviewed by Byron Merritt

Thinking about suicide? Think again. And watch WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY before you pull out that razor blade, swallow those pills, or pop that gun barrel into your mouth. The world beyond is not what you want!

Zia (Patrick Fugit) is so depressed about his girlfriend leaving him, he feels he cannot go on. One slit of the wrists and it’s bye-bye boy. But what lay beyond for Zia? Well, it ain’t any prettier. In fact, it’s downright depressing. No laughter. No smiles. An empty road full of empty lives lay ahead. Or so it seems.

Zia runs into another lost soul named Eugene (Shea Whigham) who has a car and the two spark up an unusual relationship. Zia pines only for his lost love Desiree (Leslie Bibb, TALLADEGA NIGHTS) while Eugene wanders aimlessly (or so it seems) through this netherworld. That is, until Zia finds out that Desiree has committed suicide, too! Yes! Love cannot be denied, even in this depressing purgatory. But how to find her? Of course. Road trip! Zia and Eugene set out to find Desiree but run into several speed-bumps. Headlights that don’t work. No air conditioning. And even a black hole that exists under the passenger’s seat that swallows up sunglasses or anything else dropped in its direction. But none of this prepares Zia for his run-in with Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon, KISS KISS BANG BANG), another lost soul that they find hitchhiking along an empty road. But Mikal claims she didn’t commit suicide, and is looking for the people that “run this place.” The journeys of the threesome interlock in unusual ways, including a romance that will play itself out in the end of all ends.

Most interesting about Wristcutters is that symbolism plays a huge role. And that symbolism is actually quite funny. The fact that no one is able to smile is very funny considering the circumstances surrounding the deaths of those that are in this unhappy place. Parasailers are seen as enforcement officers (archangels?) And whoever does run this place doesn’t want these souls to leave (which includes allowing suicides to happen a second time). There are also entire families of suiciders who help prove that mental illness can be genetic. And Eugene’s death by pouring “Dead Guy Ale” over his electric guitar is something that is sure to elicit chuckles from just about everyone.

Eugene is not as he seems (“You must have friends in high places”) nor is just about everyone in the film. The ending certainly makes this abundantly clear (which I won’t spoil for those who decide to watch this). But I will say that I’m glad they decided to go with the ending on the DVD and not the alternate; that would’ve been TRULY depressing instead of depressingly funny.

Even with its dark comedy, Wristcutters isn’t going to be for everyone. The comedy isn’t in your face or, sometimes, even self-evident. Occasionally you have to dig deep to find the witticisms but find them you will.

There are some weak points to the film, most notably the production standards and some of the very lame sets, but these can be overlooked (if somewhat difficultly) by enjoying the deathly guffaws.