Armless

Armless is a story of a man, who, not happy with his life leaves his wife and goes to New York. Why you may ask? We find he is going to New Yok to attempt to saw off his arms, John uses a alias as " Hazard"; watch out for the numerous Dukes of Hazard bad puns.

We see John in a hardware store, buying the saw; then looking up a doctor, whom he believed is the one who does odd surgeries. It is not the same one. The whole third act is John, locked himself in the broom closet; with the saw as the doctor is trying to tell him not to do it. We hope for something "exciting" at the end, but like the whole movie, nothing shows up.

In all, this project goes nowhere.

The condition portrayed in the movie is a real one and a rare one - BIID - Body Integrity Identity Disorder - a disorder in which otherwise healthy individuals feel that they are meant to be disabled, each in a very specific way.

The main character's difficulties in dealing with this deep desire and disclosing this to his wife are difficulties that real people with BIID also face. I haven't seen many movies with a BIID theme, but compared to "Quid Pro Quo" which may be a more entertaining movie, this movie is more true to the reality of BIID.

For me it was definitely a drama, not a comedy - that's not to say there is no humor. Feeling that the true you is arm-less and not achieving this arm-less state means continuing to live a lie and trying to work through this without devastating those close to you is the stuff of drama, not comedy.

Despite the good acting and important content, I can see how this is not a movie for everyone. If you have an interest in BIID, I would definitely recommend it.

OK, not a horrible movie, not a fantastic movie but certainly not a waste of time as some have said. I watched this movie having read the three previous reviews: two bad and one good. So I did not expect much. But I am glad that I stuck it out. Independent films give writers and directors the chance to explore topics that would never make it in the mainstream, and that is what this movie is all about. Quirky characters with interesting real dialog. Very unusual plot idea. A very touching conclusion that was the definition of true love for me. I find it to be a quiet little movie that explored a lot of human flaws and issues in a very short period of time. The doctor's assistant is my favorite character, along with the completely self-absorbed mother.

I can understand how this movie may not be for everyone. It's dark and quiet with comedy more in the silence than the dialogue. It has a very personal and secretive tone, and I would recommend watching it alone rather than in a group. Odd, soft-spoken, and questionably allegorical, the best way to enjoy this movie is to connect personally with the characters and try to understand their positions. You don't have to want to cut off your arms to understand John, you just have to know what it's like to want something desperately, feel outcast and misunderstood, or to be so comfortable in your own security that it makes you want to break free. It shows, from both sides, lies we tell ourselves and others in order to fit in. This movie is tragic in its humanity, hilarious in its tragedy, and ultimately true. Good actors, interesting plot, and it gives viewers something to think about. It's definitely worth watching on the off chance it will be for you.

I picked this up on DVD as I saw it was part of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival as well as a winner at the Toronto Independent Film Festival.

A quirky, off-beat dark comedy with great dialog that explores the bizarre side of the human condition and its unique flaws however weird they may be sometimes. I felt the impact of the lines exactly the way they intended. The comedy is understated, slow, and deliberate leaving more in the blank space than spoken.

The condition shown in the film is a very real and very rare disorder called Body Integrity Identity Disorder. A phenomenon of people who desire amputation of healthy limbs or who desire paralysis. "Quid Pro Quo' (2008) is another less based in reality movie about DIIBs. The struggles shown in "Armless" are some of the same struggles that people with the disorder may experience.

I think independent films can serve a very similar role as comic books. They allow writers and directors to try things and explore topics in weird subcultures that would never appear in the mainstream. Every once in a while a story will break from indie to mainstream if it strikes a chord.

To enjoy this you need to be into independent films and the more unusual topics. I wouldn't recommend this to basically anyone I know, although if I did I must think you are weird and cool and would be able to appreciate what most couldn't.

You don't have to also want to cut off your arms to enjoy.