The Wackness belongs to a film category that is the complete opposite of chick flicks; it’s a … dick flick.
It starts out as a story of a boy giving his best shot for the girl of his dreams, what he finds, instead, is a unique friendship with her father.
Lucas Shapiro (Josh Peck, yes, Nickelodeon) is your average teenage drug dealer, trying to make a living (and subsequently, trying to help with the family finances) — and, in that line of work, I would guess, he gets depressed. — He has no friends, (and if he did, they would be his “don’t-share-any-personal-details” clients, or his “make-you-a-copy-of-the-B.I.G.-tape” supplier) his parents are always fighting, and his shrink also happens to be the father of the girl he likes.
All of this takes place in 1994 NYC — Giuliani had just been appointed mayor, Kurt Cobain decided to end his life, B.I.G.’s debut album is released and there is a massive heat wave.
At first, it would seem that Dr. Squires (Ben Kingsley) is helping Shapiro with his depression. We are then gradually shown that these two have more in common than they know — they’re both secretly self-destructing.
In the process, they show each other a way to live, or at least, make the world live-able — which turns into a touching story about friendship. Add in Stephanie (Olivie Thirlby) and Kristin (Famke Janssen), the complicated women in both their lives — make the parallels seem even more obvious, and adds a layer of heartbreaking romance.
The attention to detail of which the movie (and director) is proud of is spot-on — and if subtle nostalgia and bromance is your thing, you’d appreciate this film even more. (Get the soundtrack! 1994, yow!)
***
Do I like The Wackness a lot more than I should just because I saw Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist on the same week? Nick & Norah (which is also set in NYC) made me feel old, while The Wackness made me long for older times. (Just saying.)
***
Also, if you like dark comedies, check out In Bruges. Which is, in my opinion, the most utilitarian film I’ve ever seen — every character serves a purpose — even if they show up on-screen for a minute, they’re put in there for a reason. It’s high-larious!
Related posts:
- Terminator: Salvation Review
- Ninja Assassin: A Dam of CG Blood
- perfume: the story of a murderer.
- District 9: Humans Are Bastards
- forgetting sarah marshall.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.