Saturday, August 21, 2010

Wake (2008, U.S.)

It seems like I've been saying this a lot lately, but this film was truly one of a kind. It's about a girl whose sister died young. Carys can't feel anything, and she wants to be able to cry. So she uses a connection with a friend who works for a mortuary and starts going to the funerals of strangers. At one funeral, she meets Tyler, the fiancé of the young deceased. His eulogy touches her, and she finds herself lying to him about being a friend of the family. They start a friendship, they both help each other grieve, and eventually they become more than friends.

I've rarely seen such a successful genre-blend. There was the obvious drama (revolving around death and family) and romance angles. Then there was a mystery, because there's a question about how the fiancée died (and Tyler might have done it). Then there's some extreme suspense when Carys and Tyler are alone in a cabin in the woods and Carys fears for her life. There's some pretty funny black comedy. And they all blend together so well that you can never quite settle into watching; your mind has to be actively engaged in the film to keep your mental footing.

I thought that the last shot was just too easy, but otherwise, wow. It was quite a roller coaster—funny, sad, suspenseful, romantic. A great indie film that definitely deserves a wide audience. Prepare to be surprised.

Rating: 4.5

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