Eagle vs. Shark

Eagle vs. Shark ***1/2

Directed by Taika Waititi
Written by Taika Waititi

Starring:
Jermaine Clement as Jarrod
Loren Horsley as Lily
Joel Tobeck as Damien
Cohen Holloway as Mason
Craig Hall as Doug Davis
Jackie van Beek as Anthea
Taika Cohen as Gordon
Rachel House as Nancy
David Fane as Eric Elisi
Morag Hills as Vinny
Brian Sergent as Jonah
Bernard Stewart as Zane

88 Minutes(Rated R for language, some sexuality, and brief animated violence).
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"Eagle vs. Shark" is a quirky indie comedy-as if we haven't seen plenty of those these days. And yet, while it does share shades of a more adult version of "Napoleon Dynamite"-oddly enough, as a side note, this is even coming out the same weekend that "Napoleon Dynamite" did three years ago-there is just something about these characters and actors that makes this almost a step above that very funny film. The thing that makes this differ from "Napoleon Dynamite" is that it has this certain amount of heart that is missing from that teen high school story. As wacky and out of reality characters these are, there is something about them that makes them seem real, and that is how "Eagle vs. Shark" is more than funny, it is charming as well. And it comes complete with New Zealand accents, making simple things like "Yes" and "Next" more quotable than the lines in "Fargo."

Loren Horsley stars as the Shark-whose real name is Lily-a rather young woman whose parents were killed in car wreck, and now she lives with her brother Damien, who has yet to realize that he is not good at celebrity impressions. Lily works at Meaty Boy, a fast food restaurant whose new burger is meat, than bread, and then more meat-"kinda like an upside down burger." The highlight of her day is a little after nine o clock, when in comes Jarrod, played by Jermaine Clement-who oddly enough had a television show on HBO starting this week "Flight of the Conchords"-which looks a little like this in terms of humor and style. Lily has a crush on Jarrod, but Jarrod is more interested in her co-worker, Ginnie. He gives Lily an invitation to his "dress as you're favorite animal party" to give to Ginnie, but when Ginnie throws it away, Lily takes it upon herself to go instead. At the party she comes dressed as a shark, while Jarrod is an eagle. He also discovers that she is the best female player at some video game that he is apparently "the best" at. The two of them awkwardly share a kiss, and then briefly have sex, to which Lily believes that they are going out, but Jarrod still goes around referring to her as "the best female player." Lily learns that Jarrod is actually training to kill Eric Elisi, a boy who picked on him in high school. She goes on a trip with him to his hometown, and visits his odd family-complete with his depressed, wheelchair father who just misses the son that was killed in an accident years before. As the showdown comes closer and closer, Jarrod clearly makes his priorities known, and breaks Lily's heart.

"Eagle vs. Shark" actually earns its quirkiness, and these character never seem quirky for quirks sake-they are actually believably insane. At times you could wonder why Lily-who is pretty damn adorable-could like Jarrod-who often comes across as mean and self-absorbed. And while he is, it is only because he is trying to get a little but of respect and love from his poor father-and perhaps killing his old nemesis is exactly what needs to be done. Lily is just in a strange funk after the death of her parents, which is why she goes through life in a deadpan and monotonic tone. And so this is more a film about two people finding each other when everyone else seems to be leaving them. Two people who just need a little bit of love during times of crisis. It's not about two outsiders finding each other, but two people that just need some happiness. There are some real tender moments throughout this film, and it never seems forced-its always flowing with the rest of the story. And at the same time it's quite hilarious, with some great little awkward one-liners, mostly coming from Loren Horsley, who should be more well known.

The style does seem like it does relate to films like "Napoleon Dynamite" and even "The Royal Tenenbaums,"-one member of Jarrod's family actually wears a jumpsuit throughout. But it never seems like Taika Waititi is stealing from either Jarod Hess or Wes Anderson, even if the main characters name is Jarrod. The style just seems fitting for this film. The hardly moving camera, or the many centered shots actually fits for these characters. I guess maybe the best comparison is with Mike White's "Year of the Dog," where White did many of the styles that Anderson uses (wide camera angles, detail shot followed by a detail shot followed by another detail shot and then a wide angle, or just having the characters in the center of the scene), but the difference is that White didn't known how to direct a film without going for the most simple shots he could find. "Eagle vs. Shark" is a simple, unconventional love story, and the minimal directing style just seemed fitting. There is even a great use of stop motion animation-a parallel story of two apples that both Lily and Jarrod throw away at some point in the film. It doesn't make sense when it is happening, but the last frame just says it all.

I enjoyed "Eagle vs. Shark" very much. It's a sweet and simple quirky comedy that never reminded you of those past films I mentioned above while it is happening. This actually has a level of heart, and a believability in the characters. I did love "Napoleon Dynamite," but everybody there just seemed like a caricature or just someone extremely fake. Here you could understand how these could be real people, and the central love story just makes more sense. This should hopefully be a big hit upon its release, unless people make the mistake of thinking it looks like all the others. This is a perfect treat for the summer.