It’s good to laugh at things. In a lot of ways, the world is a pretty horrible place, and if people couldn’t make fun of things it would be damn near unbearable. Director Goran Dukic seems to agree with his lighthearted tragedy, “Wristcutters: A Love Story.” In the great tradition of disrespectful young love stories such as “Better Off Dead” or “Heathers,” “Wristcutters” tells the story of Zia (Patrick Fugit from “Almost Famous”), a somewhat lost youth, who, left by his girlfriend of many years, kills himself, hoping to end it all for good. He’s wrong. His suicide only delivers him to a slightly worse version of the world he just left. Now working at the run down Kamikaze Pizza, Zia and his best friend, Russian rock-and-roller Eugene, (Shea Whitham) pass their time in the banal afterlife drinking beer, playing pool, and generally wasting time.
But Zia’s boring world is turned on its head when he learns his ex-girlfriend, Denise, has also off’ed herself. Soon Zia and Eugene set out on a directionless quest to find the love of Zia’s life. After a number of wrong turns, bad decisions, and general screw-ups, the two pick up very cute hitchhiker Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon from “The Rules of Attraction”) who, after an accidental overdose, is looking for someone in charge so she can return to the real world. As Zia and Mikal learn that love has a place in world of lost lives, they come ever closer to finding out who’s really running things and what makes life worth living.
“Wristcutters” plays like a great 80s dark comedy, laughing at the gravity of death. Dukic crafts an incredibly well-realized world for his story, and it’s clear he has a genuine love for the characters. Convincing performances from all three leads and a nice cameo from bluesman Tom Waits gives “Wristcutters” a great combination of deadbeat comedy and romantic energy. Details like a bottomless hole underneath the passenger seat of Eugene’s station wagon sets “Wristcutters” in firmly original and interesting ground, as does the characters’ ability to perform miracles. The film loses some sense of direction as it pulls into the third act, but momentum carries it through a slightly flat ending with style and grace. A favorite in this year’s festival circuit, “Wristcutters” is an irreverent comedy and a touching love story, in which the flaws are far outweighed by an interesting premise and unique style of storytelling.
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