Stepper_on_flowers
Caution: spoilers ahead. This is a spoilered review, so be warned.The film starts out as original, even bold. The character of Evan is very well fleshed and sympathetic (at least from my standpoint). The premise is quite believable, with a certain slightly decadent/slightly post-modern charm, and definite intelligence.However, once the drama begins to unfold, the movie's charm slips away, while the gaping maw of Hollywood threadbare *romantic* morality looms into view. And promptly eats the main character.As it turns out, writing beautiful poetry or prose for someone's grand exit out of life is a shameful sin. Only depressed people with the obligatory abused childhood may contemplate doing this for a living. And that these people must be punished, and corrected in their ways.Charlotte (Winona Ryder) was deeply estranged from her brother, they haven't seen each other or talked for a long time, and she wasn't there for him when he chose to commit suicide. On his funeral, she spots Evan, the professional death note writer (accomplished, too, - as we're told, one of his notes won a writing award) and chases him relentlessly, ignoring his uncertainty and basically throwing herself at him. When Evan finally submits to her *charms* (after having been cornered on a roof, no less), the situation changes dramatically. Evan eventually becomes truly enamored with Charlotta, while she begins to demand total knowledge of his life. Out of completely misplaced chivalry (the usual plothole of Hollywood romances, and a definite hint at the travesties to come), Evan chooses to hide his occupation, in pointless hopes of avoiding the very questionable risk of causing psychological discomfort to his lover.Needless to say, Charlotte finds out, and of course, like in all those B-grade low-brow romances, she immediately throws her "love" towards Evan overboard under the double pretext of "deceiving" her and being a soulless jerk who dares to ornament people's deaths in beautiful poetry. At this point one might wonder why the work of the common undertaker or grave monument sculptor is not being so stigmatised, but someone writing "death notes" should be perceived as a deviant. Moreover, history knows plenty of brilliant poets that were obsessed with death to a certain degree (Poe, Baudelaire and Rimbaud to name but a few), and no one dares to label them soulless or uncaring.The crushed Evan is not allowed such blasphemous thoughts, however. After a pathetic encounter with a mugger, where Evan's emasculation is finalised (he cries like a child and says his sorry for hitting the mugger back after the bastard pistol-whipped him), he dutifully abandons writing, leaves town, and engages in a pointless, stupid Luddite-like business of letting raging morons throw electronic equipment that baffles their tiny minds off a cliff, while filming this ordeal. This final scene may very well be seen as a meta-comment on the movie itself, which abandons an intelligent and promising premise in favor of filming the pointless rage of a moronic woman and the damage it caused to a sophisticated piece of equipment that was the protagonist.All in all, while amusing (from an academic standpoint), it was really sad to watch. It sends a deeply flawed message. This movie and others like it have a lot in common with older, male chauvinist "taming of the shrew" scenarios, only with the roles reversed. It's quite shocking in this day and age to see such primal, degenerate values at work. I feel particularly sad for Winona's participation as in the past she played characters similar to Evan but from a female perspective, and usually managed to maintain the integrity of these characters. Too bad she didn't recognise this movie for what it really is - a low-grade "romance" replete with false morals, masquerading as something thoughtful and stylish.However, once you realise all this, you can appreciate the movie from a different angle - that of Fatum in the hands of moralising authors against the protagonist struggling to maintain his integrity. Like any Greek tragedy, this one ends tragically. I gave this movie an 8 due to the following: 1) good premise; 2) Wes Bentley is very good as Evan; 3) the movie may be appreciated on a different philosophical level once you come to grips with its skewed morality; 4) baby-scaring therapy was hilarious; 5) I adore Winona Ryder. If you have any comments on this review, feel free to check out the message board where I've posted a more erratic & angry version for discussion.
napierslogs
Wes Bentley (from American Beauty) stars as Evan, a very solitary guy who writes suicide notes for other people. At a funeral for one of his clients he meets Charlotte (played by Winona Ryder) who forms an instant attraction to him.This movie is about their relationship and how their relationship influences and changes Evan's life. All the characters are well developed and realized, and the actors portray them very well. The movie is an original and clever take on the usual romantic comedy. Due to Evan's vocation, it is quite dark. I think 'black romantic comedy' defines its genre well. The movie seemed very real despite the fact that it centers around a vocation that doesn't really exist (at least on the surface of today's society). It was funny and well written. I highly recommend it for anybody who is looking for a dark romantic comedy that is out of the ordinary.
arieliondotcom
This is a very strange movie about a guy...a very strange guy...who makes his living as a freelance writer of suicide notes for other people. Very dark most of the time with bizarre bits of comedy thrown in thanks to the presence of Ray Romano of all people (Everybody Loves Suicide, I guess). Although you think he'll only be around for a walk on (and kill off) he's around for most of the film and really makes the picture with his deadpan delivery of some wacky but very funny lines that are all the funnier because of the bleakness of the film surrounding them and the context plus his delivery. Romano is a human Eeyore and this film is a perfect foil for him.One joke is very vulgar but (I'm ashamed to admit) I found it very funny, thus the R rating, but most of it is probably from a liberal use of the "F" bomb.Very unsettling, very odd, and all the more surreal because it's also very funny. Worth watching for the (to me) surprise ending alone. Which is appropriate as a last word for this film.
