Directed by:
Taika WaititiScreenplay:
Taika WaititiCast:
Craig Hall, Loren Taylor, Jemaine Clement, Joel Tobeck, Julian Arahanga, Cohen Holloway, Chelsie Preston Crayford, Michael Whalley, David Fane, Tammy Davis (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
When Lily (Horsley), a lonely, oddball fast-food waitress and hopeless romantic, and Jarrod (Clement), another lonely oddball and video game clerk who has spent the last decade plotting revenge against a bully from high school, connect at a dress as your favorite animal party, it s a match seemingly made in outcast Heaven. But when Lily decides to risk everything for love, her hopes are nearly dashed as, after a brief fling, Jarrod dumps her because he s too busy training for his all-important payback mission. But neither of them can anticipate the grit the steadfastly optimistic Lily will show in her heartbreak. As Jarrod's day of reckoning arrives and everything hits the fan, Jarrod and Lily will find something that goes beyond romantic fantasies and revenge faith in who they are. (StudioCanal UK)
(more)Reviews (2)
It is here that Waititi is at his best as New Zealand's Wes Anderson. A naive story with artificially contrived characters is presented by Taika in a relaxed and inventive way that only the aforementioned director can really do in Hollywood, and his direction literally overflows with visual ideas, casual jokes and, in the finale, believable emotions. Above all, the non-violent use of humour is fascinating, making an otherwise sad film an amusing sigh at the hardships of love and unfulfilled dreams. The melancholic opening, in particular, is great, compared to which some parts lose their shine, but the bottom line is that this is a wonderful debut of an independent filmmaker who still has a lot to say.
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I’m sure there was a certain message and I even get what the message was, but I think Taika Waititi can do better. I would have given this film more stars if it hadn’t been trying too hard to look artistic and play on the emotions of overly sensitive individuals. The idea of populating the film with "quirky" characters wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t original.
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