Delightful blend of drama and dark comedy

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2005)

To me, the beauty of this movie lies not in any deep exploration of the 20-something psyche or in innovative cinematography, but rather in its refreshing blend of drama and dark humour.
The film manages to treat some serious issues--over-medication of children, estranged family members, epilepsy, drug addiction, etc. while not taking itself too seriously, and, oddly, the most touching scenes are often the most funny. I wasn't quite sure if I should laugh or cry during many of the scenes--when Andrew explains matter-of-factly that his mother drowned in the bathtub after being paralysed by a dishwasher, for example, or later when he and Sam sit in the very same bathtub where his mother met her demise, or the whole idea of romance between an epileptic compulsive-liar and a drugged-up guy with a bizarre home life blossoming during the funeral of a guinea pig named Jelly... I could go on. It is the irony and absurdity of the situations in this film that make me laugh while at the same time I am able to relate.
This movie manages to deal with very dark subject matter while sitting directly on the line dividing comedy from drama, and it is this willingness to laugh at the absurdity of life's problems while still being sensitive to the pain they cause that allows this film to rise above the masses of quirky romantic comedies and self-important coming-of-age tales.