My Suicide

This film is about a boy who suffers from the fantasy unique to our age: the belief that one's entire life is a movie. The Truman Show is a good example of this: the notion that one's entire life is so perfect, so banal, repetitious and ordinary, that it must be scripted-- it cannot possibly be real. So this boy, Archie, records as much of his life as he possibly can on video, and edits it together in his room.

The problem is, no matter how much of his life he makes into a movie, it still feels meaningless. So he announces in his high school film class that he will make a movie in which he kills himself. That will be the plot and the grand finale.

His entire neighborhood starts gossiping about him, and his life changes enormously. This is when his real movie-making starts. Suicide is always lurking near him, and the entire movie is a play on various questions of suicide: when we kill ourselves, what are we doing? Is every death a 'suicide' because of the necessarily unsafe ways we live our lives? Is suicide an act of freedom and defiance, or of conformity and weakness-- or neither?

Some great cameos from unexpected actors add to the film a lot.

This is one of those rare films that covers the entire emotional spectrum, and does so effortlessly. It is as hilarious as it is tragic, as fragmented as it is thorough. If it receives the distribution it deserves, it will be a hit.

I attended the North American Premiere of "My Suicide" at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival where it screened to a sold-out 1300-seat Paramount Theatre. I'm always looking for the "sweet little American indie." You can now add "My Suicide" to the list -- although "sweet" and "little" may not apply. It's more of a "heartwrenching big American indie." When his high school class is instructed to submit a class project, Archie Williams (Gabriel Sunday) has the perfect video in mind -- he'll film his own suicide. Classmates and adults alike reel in horror at the prospect, but some aren't so disturbed by it. Count among them the vivacious Sierra Silver (Brooke Nevin), every boy's wet dream, whose fascination with Archie's idea is puzzling to the self-professed loner. As friends, family, and an assorted flock of professionals come out of the woodwork in well-intentioned attempts to dissuade him from this act, he begins to wake up to the reality that he's not alone in his pain.

"My Suicide" was directed by David Lee Miller from a story he co-wrote with his son Jordan. The screenplay was written by David along with Eric J. Adams and star Gabriel Sunday. The film was edited by Jordan and Gabriel.

Miller had his hands firmly at the wheel but was able to throw many conventions out the window because much of what we are seeing is through the eyes of a high school student -- Archie (Gabriel Sunday), not Miller. Although many young people are keenly aware of how to make amateur video look professional, there was a danger in production values being of too high quality. So, much like the mind of a teenager, the first act in particular is a cinematic assault on the senses, with frenetic cuts, chaotic sound, and dazzling visuals. Still, Miller's movie makes the most of its small budget and cuts no such corners.

"My Suicide" is actually quite amusing as events unfold. Once the viewer gets past the initial shock of Archie's plans it becomes apparent that life in a YouTube world can be a hallucinatory pleasure. Counterintuitively, living in Archie's suicidal mind is a high from which we never want to come down. But, like any mind-altering substance, we know it won't last. The film turns dark as expected but in completely unexpected ways.

This is clearly Gabriel Sunday's film. Now 23, he was only 19 when production began in early 2005. His performance as the tortured teen left many audience members shaking their heads in wonder. The ability to carry a film like this is quite rare for a young actor with such a small body of work to his credit, let alone the fact that he had such a large hand in writing, shooting, and editing the film. This was only his first feature -- he's done a bit of television, mostly after "My Suicide" was filmed. Many more are sure to follow.

Brooke Nevin is a delight as Archie's foil, occasional foe, and would-be friend. Her character is destined to either unravel Archie's plans or cement them. It is a tribute to Nevin's ability to keep her emotions close to the vest that viewers are constantly being challenged.

In addition to Sunday and Nevin, the all-star cast features star turns from David Carradine as the legendary poet Vargas and Joe Mantegna as the shrink who earns Archie's trust. Mariel Hemingway is delightful as Sierra's clueless, narcissistic mother. Some of the film's most heartwrenching, tear-inducing scenes owe their power to Nora Dunn's loving portrayal of Archie's mom and some of the classmates who enter Archie's life, in particular Zachary Ray Sherman (Corey) and Michael Welch (Earl). Supporting cast members all show great dedication to the project, including Vanessa Lengies, Tony Hale, and Kurtis Bedford.

The concept of a movie within a movie is certainly not new but the level to which the idea is executed here is simply breathtaking. Miller and his team have created a technological marvel that never allows the stunning visuals to overshadow the film's urgent message. This is one of those rare films that not only can be appreciated by just about anyone but should -- must be seen by anyone who has ever searched for love and acceptance. In short, everyone.

Thank you, Netflix, for introducing me to this little gem. Archie's Final Project (or, listed on Netflix by its original title, "My Suicide") caught my eye due to its themes of teen suicide and school controversies; I was the subject of a similar school controversy myself at 12-years-old that resulted in my expulsion and attempted suicide before such things were really discussed and explored in depth. Thus, anything that features these important themes attracts me like a fly to light.

Gabriel Sunday plays Archie Williams, a 17-year-old media geek who announces to his media class that his final project will be to film his suicide. He also seems to believe his entire life is a movie--as another review said, this is another interesting take on the Truman Show delusion that serves its own twists and turns. Thus begins one of the most unique and interesting movies I've ever seen. My Suicide is filmed almost like a documentary, as if we are, in fact, watching Archie's final project after his planned suicide. Interwoven between scenes of the aftermath of Archie's suicide film announcement are montages of colorful teenage visual ramblings, further character development of Archie and his troubled crush Sierra, and bursts of dark comedy. Sunday is absolutely mesmerizing to watch as Archie; he was just 19 when he played the role, and he plays it so believably. Undeniably charming, troubled, awkward, odd, yet fantastically skilled at playing both sides of the line between comedy and tragedy, Sunday is nothing short of amazing, and his few film/TV credits since this are baffling to me. Why in the world isn't this man in more stuff?

A total surprise to me was Sierra's inclusion in the story (played by Brooke Nevin). At first, I thought she would distract the film from its suicidal/teen angst themes and instead focus it on teenage romance. While there is an undeniable romantic connection between Archie and Sierra, it is realistically grounded in tragedy, a skewed immature teen vision of love (shown perfectly in a surprisingly intimate mutual cutting scene), and a shared troubled mental state. My Suicide is at times hard to watch because you are watching confused teens make bad decisions or simply refuse to take important decisions seriously with lax attitudes at the risk of fatal consequences; yet, because of that, it is utterly realistic and devastating. This movie made me both laugh out loud and dread the eventual ending as I feared these characters would make the ultimate decision. Without spoilers, I can say that at least one teenager in the movie commits suicide; while the act itself isn't shown, the aftermath is (including the body) and it's soul-wrenching. It's a depressingly beautiful scene that wallows in its finality and shocking morbidity; as someone who has attempted suicide, I appreciated the way this scene was handled.

My Suicide appears to have been quite the indie darling upon its release in 2009, evidenced by its many awards at multiple film festivals. It deserves them all, though they clearly didn't give the film the exposure it truly deserves. At times delightfully comedic and at other times oppressively tragic, My Suicide starts out like a teenager's school project and seems to mature along with its protagonist as the seconds go by and the darker themes crawl over each scene like an oppressive fog. Every second of its journey is interesting and hit me close to the heart.

Just saw "My Suicide" at the Berlin Film Festival, where it was hidden in the "Generation" section for children's and youth-related movies. It is hard to describe the story and visual experience of this movie in just a few lines, so to spare you an extensive review, I'll just say this: "My Suicide" is one of the most powerful, most inventive and most thought-provoking movies in years, constructed in a tour-de-force of virtuoso editing (finishing this movie after principal photography took three years) that will blow the mind of any real film lover on this planet. And it is the most insightful, intelligent movie I have ever seen on the topic of teenage suicide. "My Suicide" is surely not only the best film of the entire festival, but one of the best films of this year - if somebody is daring enough to pick it up and distribute it properly. I pray for all movie freaks out there that somebody does.

I really enjoyed this touching, low budget indie. The film has a very unique style that I enjoyed, with the way it switches between it's daydream like animation and normal. Crazy, experimental, and inventive, but that's what makes it so interesting and special. It's different than anything I have seen and I found the visuals to be captivating. Maybe slightly dated, but that didn't detract at all for me. If anything, it gave me an early 2000's nostalgic feel.

It was surprisingly intelligent and insightful. Lots of tonal shifts, but it covers the whole emotional spectrum seamlessly. Heartwarming and heartwrenching at the same time and a sharp, witty sense of humor that captures the heart of the character and teenage angst well. It leaves you with lots of food for thought. It has some intriguing philosophy that leaves you with some fantastic quotes and monologues about its deep themes. It's relatable, though not meant in an edgy way. It brings up for discussion some of the darker thoughts that creep into everyone's mind sometimes.

Archies' character felt tangible, and there were well done portrayals of human anguish all around. I also really liked the movie's soundtrack. Although I realize this movie isn't perfect and I could understand if some thought it was flawed or cliched, for now it holds a sweet spot with me.

8.8/10