The title character of this ironically life-affirming, melancholy comedy is a downtrodden, amusingly brusque young Scotsman with a recurring death wish, a proven ineptitude for suicide, and a talent for getting kicked out of support groups. Played with an abrasive charm by Jamie Sives, he finds an unexpected yearning for life when he's drawn to a vulnerable, slightly manic young mother (the marvelous Shirley Henderson)--who soon marries Wilbur's warm, happy, obliging older brother and sometimes-caretaker (Adrian Rawlins). The lithe hand of director Lone Scherfig (Italian for Beginners) deftly and tenderly propels Wilbur along a fine line between dark comedy and genuine gloom as misfortune and joy mix in the lives of her characters, and her simple, offbeat humanity helps the viewer to overlook a few minor plot quandaries. But the key to the film is Sives' performance, which balances good humor and true empathy with Wilbur's prickly personality and the selfishness of his suicide attempts. Recommended. (R. Blackwelder)
Wilbur (Wants to Kill Himself)
Sundance, 105 min., R, VHS: $79.99, DVD: $26.99 Volume 20, Issue 2
Wilbur (Wants to Kill Himself)
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