2008 Woodie Awards
'Wristcutters' destined to be cult hit
Danielle Stillman
Issue date: 12/4/07 Section: A & E
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The film opens with Zia (Fugit) putting his apartment in order, but it becomes immediately apparent that his life is less than orderly when he slits his wrists and collapses on his bathroom floor. That action sends him to a purgatory reserved solely for suicides-a place much like Earth, but in a more extreme state of decay.
Zia learns soon after his arrival that ex-girlfriend Desiree (Leslie Bibb), so broken up over his death, has committed suicide and is therefore again on his plane of existence. He sets off, along with his Russian friend Eugene (Shea Whigham), to find her in an ancient Honda station wagon.
Along their journey, Zia and Eugene encounter hitchhiker Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon), who insists that she has been sent to purgatory by mistake. She joins the two in their cross-country trek as she looks for the "people in charge," who she believes can send her back to Earth.
During their sojourn, Zia, Eugene and Mikal encounter an array of odd and starkly original characters, each accompanied by a flashback that shows how and why they committed suicide. Each pointedly peculiar individual is a reminder of why "Wristcutters" could have never been made within the establishment-each one is just too off-the-wall to survive a Hollywood edit.
Tom Waits co-stars as Kneller, the leader of a miracle camp where inhabitants perform miniscule marvels such as making objects float or change color. Waits provides his character with an appropriate level of gruff mystery, as it is not immediately certain why Kneller is so interested in the three sojourners.
Will Arnett also appears in a hilarious turn as a fanatical cult leader, which-intentionally or unintentionally-echoes his role on "Arrested Development" as an "illusionist." One complaint: Arnett's screen time feels far too short.
"Wristcutters" is essentially a road-trip movie with a fantastic spin. Filmed in the deserts outside Los Angeles and points beyond, the film's flattened hues match the dinginess of the netherworld, with flashbacks in full color to represent life. Recurring bits like a black hole-where cassette tapes, sunglasses and flowers disappear into quantum limbo once dropped under the passenger seat-and the station wagon's continual trouble with its headlights provide many of the film's laughs.