Review of Wristcutters: A Love Story (2007) by Chads. — 28 Mar 2008

A crappy title can hamper a film's chances for success. "Wristcutters: A Love Story" is a crappy title. That's the name of the backstory. "Road to Nowhere" would be more befitting.

Cue David Byrne. Where Zia(Patrick Fugit) ends up isn't purgatory. The portable black hole in Eugene's car rules out that Christian notion. This diegesis is godless. Zia and Eugene(Shea Wingham) help their travelling companion Mikahl(Shannyn Sossamon) find the "people in charge", not Charles in charge, or God in charge.

There's a messiah(Will Arnett), however, a cult leader with a God complex, whose followers can't take a hint. And then there's Kneller(Tom Waits), one of the people in charge. His control over life and death makes him god-like, but the miracles he perform are secular-based.

If there's no hell, there can't be a heaven either, according to "Wristcutters: A Love Story", the ineptly named, but intriguing road movie that blasphemes the written word with great subtlety and wit.