It's Mike Tyson, not that Mike Tyson. He's 16, a white kid in the small town of Faintville. He shoots himself in the head but fails to die. The gun is filled with blanks. Sadly, he's already bought an obituary notice in the papers and he is even more of a laughing stock. He prays to Jesus to be dead and his doctor tells him that he has a brain tumor. It's a new lease on life as he can't wait to die. Then he meets Miranda.

This is cute and a fun way to tackle death. The father is a bit of a dud. I thought we were going to do more with Miranda. It needs to stick with her and skip the dad. Instead, we have a very convenient road trip. They need a few more connecting conversations before they get to the road trip. Maybe he should not be suspended and have more scenes in the school. I like the weird kid and I like his death wish. Not all of it works but some of it does.

Difficult subject matter, and nice/decent effort to make it feel light and refreshing somehow. There are quite a few quirky/strange things that are happening here, that are weird to the point they can be taken as light entertainment. Which is never easy when it comes to the subject matter of suicide.

The main actor said he didn't try to concentrate on the fact that his character was suicidal nor did he think that that was the case. How else could you find humor in something like this? And while this walks the thin line nicely, there have been better movies on the subject matter. Still a nice try with some more than decent acting and a nice story overall.

One of a kind drama with minimum cliché parts. The movie is kept absolutely simple in conversations, shots and cast. It's often really quiet but without 'chuddy' parts (never protracting). Not really the kind of movie for a sociable evening but a very humorous drama winning over with likable, charming personalities. One of the few movies full of character with parts that may soak you up entirely.

In categories:

Narrative: 8/10, the serious topic of 'losing the will to live on' is shown in an entertaining but absolutely appropriate way. The movie brims over with sensitive insights on Mike's mind and the mindset people in his situation may have in general. Also it awakens major lust for life and may be a great watch for anyone having feelings like him. It has a wacky sense of humour and most of the 'simple kept' conversations want you to think about the sub line, but not in a very intellectual way. When Mike and Miranda meet, part of the story gets easily predictable. But the way the two main characters get to know each other, communicate and interact is affecting, lovingly intimate and absolutely unlike 'Hollywood' standard pictures. This in contrast to the (enjoyable) interactions between Mike and his mother builds the core of this movie.

Characters: 9/10, the acting is absolutely believable and especially the two main actors do a great job. If I may steal the word from another review, endearing is the perfect word to describe Mike's character. An absolutely innocent mind, who does everything quirky and honest heartedly. And this is the movie's 'foundation' - his unique personality, which is easily likable and purely human.

Cinematography: 7/10, filmed in a smooth way, guiding throughout the plot suiting music and story. The emotions are transported really convincingly, some shots are quite elaborate and unusual but without ever being over the top. A lot of scenes are filmed static but through great perspectives and perspective changes it comes off dynamically and properly done.

Music: 9/10, The music always fits and underlines situations perfectly as well as taking over the part of communication and narration. A blend of atmospheric sounds and well picked songs.