>>REVIEW
STARRING Jemaine Clement, Loren Horsely
Written and directed by Taika Cohen
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Eagle vs. Shark is the story of two extremely awkward people who fall in love in spite of their obvious differences the film was written and directed by New Zealand's Taika Cohen, whose film Two Cars, One Night garnered an Academy Award nomination.
Lily, played by Loren Horsely, is a sweet, almost naive girl working the counter of the Meaty Boy hamburger restaurant and harbouring a crush on Jarrod (Jemaine Clement), an arrogant games store employee. Playing shy, awkward and hopeful with such earnestness that it's sometimes difficult to watch, Horsely depicts a likable woman who is such a doormat that it's impossible to empathize with her. Both Lily and Jarrod work jobs and live lives that suggest adolescence, but they're both well into their 20s, a fact that only adds to the generally pathetic nature of the story.
Following Lily kicking ass at a video game while dressed as a shark at a party thrown by eagle-costumed Jarrod, the love story that blossoms between these two misfits is alternately sweet and unfathomable. Jarrod is training for a fight he intends to have with the person who beat him up when they were children, and he is full of self-delusion about his skills and abilities. He treats Lily poorly, even as she accompanies him to his hometown so he can fulfil his revenge fantasy. There are flashes of sweetness and kindness, but most of this comes from Jarrod's family, comprised of well-meaning misfits.
While there's a lot to like about Eagle vs. Shark's warped sense of humour and the way that Lily grows into a woman in charge of her life, it is far from a strong film. Clement plays Jarrod as an emotionally stunted, wacky weirdo living in a state of self-delusion. He chooses an eagle or a cobra rather than a liger, but there is a non-ironic discussion of favourite animals that only adds to the feeling that we've seen Jarrod's character before.
It's too bad that Jarrod's character is so dynamite because Eagle vs. Shark has a lot of heart. Its characters are flawed, but they grow with their flaws, not out of them. As well, the animation that punctuates Lily and Jarrod's relationship is more literal than it needs to be, but adds a welcome visual element to an otherwise (intentionally) low-key visual style.
Ultimately Eagle vs. Shark isn’t perfect, but not without charm – a solid matinee or video rental. |
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