The Most Fun You Can Have Dying (2012)
Michael has life pretty sweet. His girlfriend adores him, his best mate David is loyal to the end, plus David’s girlfriend doesn’t mind a quick hook-up either. But Michael’s self-regarding lifestyle comes crashing down when he is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Desperate not to let his life just fade away, Michael steals the $200,000 raised for his treatment, and catches a one-way flight to London. He isn’t there for long before his nerve and sense of humour earn him a vicious beating in a back alley. Waking up cold and bloodied, he finds himself being watched over by the ethereal Sylvie; a mysterious French drifter. They fall head over heels in love, and attempt to outrun death itself.
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Sadly Over-hyped
Fresh and Exciting
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
This is an excellent film, well written and superbly acted. Matt Whelan is a revelation as the terminally ill Michael who embarks on one final hurrah. The scenery filmed is stunning and the European winter sets the scene for what is often a sad and harrowing tale. Roxane Mesquida plays the part of the mysterious Sylvia and does a fine job of slowly revealing her issues and demons to the audience. Many themes run through this film, the major being the joys of friendship. A moving film and one of the best NZ films made for a long time. It is a shame this has not been given a wider audience as the cast and crew deserve much plaudits for what is an outstanding film. My only gripe would be the title of the film which suggests a light hearted comedy piece, when the reality is the exact opposite.
This movie is awesome. Great cast and locations. It made me cry. I don't don't know much about New Zealand, but hey - this is a special film. The sound track just works, and the guy who plays the lead is great too. The french chick in it is very sexy, and it's great that we get to see her breasts. It seems to have a lot of locations. It must have cost quite a bit. Shooting in Monaco and Venice must have been quite special. I don't want to put spoilers in so i'll refrain from saying too much about what it's about. Fundamentally it's a love story between two screwed up people - although the guy has a pretty good reason to be screwed up by all accounts. This movie very much took me on a journey and I enjoyed every minute of it.
This is an absolutely brilliant film. It has been beautifully shot in both NZ and Europe. The story is engaging and I found it to be very touching. The characters are complex and extremely well played by all of the cast. Matt Whelan and Roxane Mesquida in particular are both excellent. It is unusual these days for a film to surprise me but the story is so well directed that it really did. This film is a great example of Kiwi talent and just goes to show that New Zealander's can punch way above their weight. I wouldn't be surprised to see the film pull in a few awards before long. This is a film that makes you think and feel. The only way you could be disappointed is if you are incapable of one (or both :-) ) Go see it!
This is my first NZ movie I have ever seen. I didn't enjoy seeing it and I don't understand the high rate so far. I consider it's very unrealistic and the love story is extremely bored, particularly when the love story starts. I didn't probably get the suitable mood to watch this movie because I consider it more a fantasy or an adult tale than a fiction movie. This is the reason that I consider it pretentious and unrealistic (e.g. how we can understand the secret place in East of Europe? how we can understand the love story based on glances (without chatting)? how is possible no police in the hospital?, etcetera). However, the main character is well played by Matt Whelan, the beginning of the movie is compelling and some picture of the different cities are beautiful.