Review of Wristcutters: A Love Story (2007) by Lee B — 17 Feb 2011

According to this fantasy/comedy, if you kill yourself, you go to a land where other suicides continue to go to their jobs, which probably caused their suicide, and still display the evidence of their efforts. As concepts go, this doesn't seem too compelling, and the film doesn't use this concept to say anything unique. Rather, it is simply shot in a dull, dreary color scheme, and the characters are appropriately lifeless.

Additionally, structurally, we don't get to the eponymous love story until after act two is well on its way, and in the middle of act two, we're suddenly introduced to a political plot that is never fully explored and I was never completely clear on. And there is no denying that Wristcutters: A Love Story falls into a trap common for road movies; namely, the supporting characters are more interesting than the main characters' journey, and the film subsequently loses its focus.

For all its flaws, this film charmed me. Patrick Fugit has good comic timing, and Shannyn Sassamon provides some color to an otherwise bland canvass.

Overall, this is short film, and if you're susceptible to a quirky brand of funny (cf. Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine), then you might find it worth the time.