Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (2002)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Lone Scherfig

Writers:

Lone Scherfig (written by) &
Anders Thomas Jensen (written by)

Release Date:

8 November 2002 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

The life he wanted to end, was just about to begin

Plot:

The good-hearted Harbour has spent his whole life trying to take care of his motherless and suicidal little brother...

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Hospital | Love | Bookstore | Cancer

Awards:

11 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Jamie Sives	...	Wilbur
Adrian Rawlins	...	Harbour
Shirley Henderson	...	Alice
Lisa McKinlay	...	Mary
Mads Mikkelsen	...	Horst
Julia Davis	...	Moira
Susan Vidler	...	Sophie
Robert McIntosh	...	Taylor
Lorraine McIntosh	...	Ruby
Gordon Brown	...	Wayne
Mhairi Steenbock	...	Claire
Andrew Townsley	...	Doctor
Coral Preston	...	Jenny
Colin McAllister	...	Male Supervisor
Owen Gorman	...	Porter

Also Known As:

Wilbur (France) (Sweden)
Wilbur begår selvmord (Denmark)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some disturbing images.

Runtime:

111 min | Denmark:105 min | USA:109 min | Argentina:105 min

Country:

Denmark | UK | Sweden | France

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Spain:13 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:14 | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:MG6 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:14A

Filming Locations:

Filmbyen, Avedøre, Sjælland, Denmark

Company:

Zentropa Entertainments

Trivia:

Director Lone Scherfig considers it her most complete film.

Quotes:

Harbour: She'll have hers to go.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Det store lærred: Wilbur begår selvmord (2002) (TV)

A celebration of life... and suicide

"Wilbur wants to kill himself" is a (so)moving parable about how easy is to let yourself die when everything seems meaningless and how hard is to live when a disease is mining you.

Wilbur looks like a nice guy, the kind of man women like, he's good-looking, he has a brother who loves him... it doesn't seem like his existence is that miserable. Nevertheless he wants to leave this world, that's one of men's last rights so he'll try to kill himself in any possible way. On the contrary, his brother Harbour is full of life, he's an enthusiastic person, he's in love and he's just get married... how ironic, he has an incurable cancer, but that won't stop him from clinging to life till the last consequences.

Scherfig has moved away from the stupid DOGMA corset, and creates a perfect balance between the smile and the crying, tenderness and misanthropy, between life and death. She reduces the roughness of the hardest moments with a sarcastic turn or relying on the darkest sense of humor (that's always the best antidote against tragedy). Step by step she shows Wilbur the right way (and to all of us). No moral judgments, no dogmatism... there's no need to. Wilbur is a celebration of life, but is also a show of respect for those who don't wanna live anymore. Eventually it is a celebration of the best cinema: the one that makes you feel better.

*My rate: 8.5/10