Reviewed by Neil Davey
Stars Patrick Fugit, Shannyn Sossamon, Shew Wigham, Tom Waits, Leslie Bibb, Will Arnett, John Hawkes, Sarah Roemer, Azura Skye,
Nick Offerman, Jake Busey
Written by Goran Dukic, based on a short story by Etgar Keret
Certification UK 15 | US R
Runtime 84 minutes
Directed by Goran Dukic
Suicide. There's a subject with 'romantic comedy' written all over it... In truth, 'rom com' is probably pushing it a little but behind that title and subject matter — a subject that will probably secure this sweet slice of whimsy the death knell of an 18 certificate — is an off-beat tale of hope, love and sunglasses.
Zia (the amiable Fugit) has had enough and decides that suicide is his only option. He starts his eternal sleep with a razor across the wrists... and wakes up in heaven? Purgatory? You decide. All Zia knows is that his afterlife isn't all celestial choirs and joyous choral music. It's just like earth only, well, crappier. It's dull, nobody smiles, public transport is a joke and every job is menial.
There is some good news though. In a manner of speaking. Zia has learned that the love of his life Desiree (Leslie Bibb) has also killed herself and is somewhere in this afterlife. With the help of new friend Eugene (Wigham), a Russian rock singer, and sexy hitchhiker Mikal (Sossamon) who claims she didn't commit suicide and is there due to an administrative error, he travels the afterlife attempting to find Desiree and not drop things into the portal to another dimension under the passenger seat of Eugene's car.
Throw in Tom Waits as a mysterious leader of men, and ever-reliable Will Arnett as the self-appointed new Messiah, and you've got as unconventional a tale as it's probably possible to get. Despite the dark nature of the background, there's an underlying sense of hope here, some charming performances, and a clear grasp of the absurdist mature of 'real' life. It's probably not quite as wise as it sometimes thinks it is but there's still enough here to make this a highly enjoyable and thought-provoking diversion.