Check This Out: "Wristcutters - A Love Story"

While I spend a fair share of time listening to, critiquing and appreciating music in the car, at the (boring) office, in the comfort of home, while working in the yard etc; I do sincerely cherish the opportunity to grab some gummy bears, sit down in the basement, get comfortable and check out a great new movie. Especially a great new movie that also includes a fantastic and appropriately meshed soundtrack.

At first glance, the 2006 Sundance favorite Wristcutters' title might startle the unsuspecting. I myself would have most likely skipped past this one on the "new releases" on-demand list had I not read good reviews a few weeks back on some blog somewhere....

While Wristcutters is most definitely about suicide just as the title suggests, it is much more so about love and finding love through life's heartaches and confusion. Its a movie about realizing that sometimes we all have to sift through some major shit to discover happiness - and that we don't realize until its over that even the worst of times can serve a purpose towards eventually discovering the best times. Its a movie about realizing that when its all said and done, love survives and can rear its head in the strangest of places.

The movie begins with the main character Zia, overcome with depression from breaking up with his girlfriend, deciding to end it all and commit suicide. He wakes up in a strange purgatory - like afterlife made especially for those that "did the deed" (suicide). This afterlife is disappointingly similar to the world Zia chose to escape, only slightly dirtier, darker, and less apprehensible. Zia soon learns that his lost love Desiree, (desire?) became so overcome with sadness and confusion after his suicide that she also chose the same fate for herself and exists somewhere in the same afterlife. Zia decides to embark upon an existential journey of sorts with his weird Russian rocker buddy Eugene to find happiness and be reunited with Desiree once again. What they discover along the way is that sometimes life's greatest "miracles" happen unsuspectingly right in front of your eyes.

In essence, the movie puts an odd twist on the classic boy meets girl love story while incorporating some very serious, "what does this all mean?" themes. Picture Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (without the ether and LSD) meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - the film is that nutty throughout and that heartwarming and reassuring exactly when it needs to be.

Not only does the story get two thumbs up from me, the soundtrack is pretty great too warranting the mention here on Jeopardy. Tom Waits co-stars as the very important character Kneller and you hear his song Dead & Lovely repeatedly throughout. Tunes by Joy Division, Gram Parsons and others also pop up laying down a heart felt, memorable, mood-evoking soundtrack.

In short, check out this flick - its a unique break from mainstream cinematic mediocrity and boasts a "killer" soundtrack.

Official website: www.lovesurvives.com

You can check out the trailer on youtube here.

You can stream Tom Waits "Dead and Lovely" from the movie here.

And try and check out the rest of the soundtrack if you get a chance... here's the tracklist:

"Wristcutters: A Love Story"
1. Dead And Lovely - Tom Waits
2. Deathwish - Christian Death
3. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
4. Occurances At The Border - Gogol Bordello
5. Song For You, A - Gram Parsons
6. Through The Roof And Underground - Gogol Bordello
7. Oasis - Vivienne Dogan-Corringham
8. Telstar - Joe Meek
9. Cry Myself To Sleep - Del Shannon
10. Huliganjetta - Gogol Bordello
11. She's Fallen In Love With A Monster - Screaming Lord Sutch
12. 24 To Vector Z - Daniel Wang
13. Gloomy Sunday - Artie Shaw
14. Love Song - Mikal Lazarev
15. Brennan's Theme - Mushman