Genres

Visitors Review

Jon Popick 2012-05-25 04:20:39

Gloomy and gritty, without forsaking an ounce of realism.

Bluezboy8 2012-05-24 22:03:32

Watch closely...

and listen even closer, or you'll miss some of the truest drama and driest wit yet seen or heard in '04. This film is a quiet, somber gem that surely will conjure images of someone in your lifetime. The eccentricities are theirs, but they reflect our own.Character development appears shallow at first sight, but grows stronger with each scene, transforming what appears to be a comical, morose title into a whole, and tangible plot. Challenging, and a worthwhile experience.... and what was up with that nurse's hair??

2012-05-20 03:40:50

Wilbur's hung up on himself

It's difficult to discuss what I liked and disliked "Wilbur" without delving into plot developments that are best left to the viewer to experience for herself. Suffice to say that Wilbur wants to kill himself and after numerous attempts, the hospital refuses to continue treating him psychologically and sends him to live with his generously compassionate brother. Alternately quirky and sad, but never morbid, the question around which the events unfold is whether Wilbur will eventually succeed or get over himself. The film is enjoyable enough, though I never felt much empathy with the characters. The quirkiness is both endearing (in that way that so many Scottish and Irish comedies are) and, at the same time, worn like an affectation. On balance, I liked it, but wouldn't watch it more than once.

Robert Mansfield 2012-05-19 19:46:33

you'll be enriched

Omigod. I haven't seen a film that moved me as much as this for along time. It tells the tale of two 30-something brothers who own adilapidated second-hand bookshop in Glasgow, and their searchfor different things.The writing is effortless, but so natural and brilliant, the charactersare beautifully crafted and it makes a refreshing change to see afilm that is not about the location or the effects - but about the storyand characters.As for the acting - not a bad word can be said about any of theactors. The three principals (henderson, sives and rawlings) areso utterly convincing and there is so much chemistry betweenthem all. They are backed up by two brilliant turns from Julia Davisas Moira and Mads Mikkelsen as Horst.It may sound depressing from the title, and you may well shed atear before the end of the movie, but I can guarantee that you willleave the cinema a wiser and more enriched person for havingseen Wilbur...

bastard wisher 2012-05-17 07:44:35

Another fairly bland effort from Lone Scherfig, albeit with some potential

Lone Scherfig has to be the most blandly mediocre filmmaker workingtoday that i can think of. Her Dogme film "Italian for Beginners" waseasily the least-inspired entry in that pseudo-series (what else wouldI call it?) that I've seen, and this sadly fairs only slightly better,and really only because the premise has some inherent potential. Thefirst half hour or so is actually not bad, and has some funny parts,but then it quickly loses focus and just kind of plods around foranother looong hour+. Instead of fulfilling the promise of it's chosensubject matter, the film oddly chooses to practically abandon it'sinitial theme and instead wastes a lot of time with incredibly genericsoap-opera plot contrivances. As a whole the film just seems rudderlessand oddly uninspired. No sense of tone or craft. Did anyone working onthe film really think the horrible sentimental music was appropriate?There are too many unnecessary minor characters each with a too-tidyarch, and a lot of pointless scenes that seem like they were added justto pad out the running time even though the movie already seems toodrawn-out. Overall this movie is more just strangely flat than outrightbad in almost any sense, full of an overwhelming feeling of dullunderachievement.

David Sterritt 2012-05-16 19:19:13

A quiet, no-frills drama with simple human values at its core.

David Elliott 2012-05-15 21:18:37

A compelling mixture of dry humor and even drier -- if you can imagine such a thing -- sentiment.

Stephen Whitty 2012-05-15 12:05:11

A smart and -- ultimately, surprisingly -- sweet film.

2012-05-10 18:44:11

Brothers

Wilbur (a wry, sad Jamie Sives) wants out of Life in a bad way and he tries several ways to accomplish his goal: pills, head in oven, slit wrists but he never quite succeeds often due to his personal angel and brother Harbour (a terrific Adrian Rawlins). Director and screenwriter, Lone Scherfig (the ironic, witty, intelligent "Italian for Beginners") packs "Wilbur" with a number of very serious topics: suicide, terminal illness, infidelity and proceeds to deal with them in a manner that can only be described as ironic: irony with a very light, though often tragic and humane touch.Schefig's mise en scene is thick and heavy with the detritus of her characters troubled and out-of-whack lives and even when a woman enters Wilbur and Harbour's life...the winsome Shirley Henderson as Alice things do not get much better but only more complicated.Scherfig has crafted a very sad, troubling film about people caught up in the past who never quite grow out of that particular quagmire of guilt, shame and remorse. "Wilbur" is a difficult movie to comprehend much less love but nonetheless there is much to admire here for anyone looking for the intriguing and unusual.

Jules Brenner 2012-05-10 13:53:11

You wouldn't think a romantic comedy so permeated with the theme of death could produce the laughs, but they pepper the craftily balanced issues of love and survival.

K11 2012-05-06 18:25:33

I want to kill myself

So we start with the "hilarious" premise that the obnoxious smartarseWilbur (he doesn't really get any better) is continually trying to killhimself. All too quickly we have to divorce ourselves from anysemblance of reality. Why has Wilbur not been sectioned? Why does hehave a brother called Harbour? (it clicked when I saw that nearly everyname related to the production was Danish that it might have beenlaziness on the writer's part). Without spoiling the plot takes adramatic turn which should have touched me but is just not handled wellenough for me to care. I have no axe to grind with the actors: Shirley Henderson and AdrianRawlins manage to evince some empathy although Rawlins clearlystruggles with the Glaswegian accent. Jamie Sives plays the veryunsympathetic title character unsympathetically (incredible for acharacter who is supposed to be suicidal!). Julia Davis gives us a 2Dpurely comic tactless nurse that would work well in a sketch show butno a film of this nature.The reassuring thing about a film like this is that it reminds me howgood most of the films I see are.

Steven Rea 2012-05-06 07:47:19

A poignant, death-tinged comedy.

Joe Baltake 2012-05-01 20:57:38

This is one special movie.

Annlee Ellingson 2012-05-01 11:17:32

Even the most minor character is endowed with the dignity of a back story that respects their influence on the lives of Wilbur, Harbour and Alice.

Mazzeno 2012-04-25 00:05:21

why it is a comedy

I like the film, not because it is on love or it is funny, but becauseit tell a story of mutual dependence of the characters. Alice love allothers in her family, though the feeling to everyone is different, butthey are all deep and long lasting. the feelings are not thunder like,but like a spring rain. they just need each other, so Wilbur stoptrying to kill himself and learn to take care of Alice and herdaughter. but I don't know why it is described as a comedy, for itcontains very few funny scenes, to some one, it is moving. so if ittakes another genre, it would have different audience and they willhave quite different opinion to the film.

Henry Fields 2012-04-24 08:59:15

A celebration of life... and suicide

"Wilbur wants to kill himself" is a (so)moving parable about how easyis to let yourself die when everything seems meaningless and how hardis to live when a disease is mining you. Wilbur looks like a nice guy, the kind of man women like, he'sgood-looking, he has a brother who loves him... it doesn't seem likehis existence is that miserable. Nevertheless he wants to leave thisworld, that's one of men's last rights so he'll try to kill himself inany possible way. On the contrary, his brother Harbour is full of life,he's an enthusiastic person, he's in love and he's just get married...how ironic, he has an incurable cancer, but that won't stop him fromclinging to life till the last consequences. Scherfig has moved away from the stupid DOGMA corset, and creates aperfect balance between the smile and the crying, tenderness andmisanthropy, between life and death. She reduces the roughness of thehardest moments with a sarcastic turn or relying on the darkest senseof humor (that's always the best antidote against tragedy). Step bystep she shows Wilbur the right way (and to all of us). No moraljudgments, no dogmatism... there's no need to. Wilbur is a celebrationof life, but is also a show of respect for those who don't wanna liveanymore. Eventually it is a celebration of the best cinema: the onethat makes you feel better. *My rate: 8.5/10

Kenneth Turan 2012-04-24 15:32:27

Call this a brooding comedy or a darkly whimsical drama, Wilbur's willingness to mix gallows humor and real sadness make it something on which labels do not easily fit.

cmanhoff 2012-04-24 05:50:43

Non-traditional and moving story of love.

Somehow this movie manages to combine themes of suicide, terminalillness, ultimate betrayal, and more suicide into a touching, sensitiveand uplifting experience. Of course, other more positive themes exist:the healing power of love, the possibility of change, extreme personalmagnetism, compassion, acceptance and forgiveness. Don't be put off ifthe first 30 minutes or so seem disjointed and even boring. Everythingcomes together in due time. The theme of brotherly love is sopowerfully represented, it is awe-inspiring. Towards the end, some ofthe subtle and nuanced communication is absolutely brilliant in itsexecution. Somewhat bittersweet, but more sweet than bitter. Beautiful.

deadmanjones 2012-04-18 06:08:28

And by God you'll wish he had

And by God you'll wish he had. Well received within indie circuits thisis invariably described as humorous and subtle with greatcharacterisations. God knows where people get this view from. Thescript contains no subtlety or finesse, giving us the bare bones ofwhat passes for key moments in the story, and features dialogue thatmakes you presume it was written in a foreign language and thentranslated using Google. Apparently a story of teaching those who havegiven up on life to reclaim it, it left us with a feeling that thosewho reclaimed didn't deserve it and should have been left to die in theopening scene.

2012-04-17 18:31:39

Very dark

This review is from: Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (DVD) I have seen this listed under comedy, but the material is so dark and downbeat that even when comedy is intended, it is difficult to see the humor in the situation. Not only is it downbeat material wise, but even the cinematography follows suit. Much of the film is in surroundings such as an old dusty bookshop which is not well lit. I think it takes a special viewer to find the humor in this film, or even to be entertained by it.