NOTE: This film was recommended to me by YouTube user Soxsun for "Steve Pulaski Sees It." Lily (Loren Horsley) is a shy, socially awkward fast food worker, who enjoys writing her music despite the ostensible fact that nobody cares enough to listen. She has a crush on a frequent customer named Jarrod (Jermain Clement), a geek who works in a video game store, and finally gets the opportunity to spend time with him when he invites her to a costume party with the only condition that Lily dress as her favorite animal; she shows up as a shark, while Jarrod goes as an eagle, claiming that, or a cobra, is his favorite animal.What entails is a quirky romance only film could capture; a striking portrait of two social misfits, unaccepted by the masses, and free to guide themselves in the own strange, niche world they craft for themselves. The two don't wind up becoming friends as much as they do close, personal acquaintances given how little they explicitly let on to one another, particularly Jarrod, who lives so deeply in his own world he can't even adequately see what both him and Lily have in common - not even the mole they share above their upper lips. Jarrod has been plotting to take on a bully from high school in a fight in front of a large audience for the last several months, and Lily stands by his side, in utter compliance, largely because she's just so honored to be able to be seen beside the man of her dreams. As Jarrod slogs away at life, meticulously planning a meaningless brawl and taking nearly everything his family says as an offensive remark, Lily is there for him, be it a passive observer, or subtle moral support.Therein lies the twinkling beauty of Eagle vs Shark; Lily's devotion and consistent loyalty to someone she probably knows, deep down, is four tires short of a car. Despite Jarrod's general initial indifference to her presence, he begins to see how Lily is the only person who has had his back since the beginning. Her incomparable trust and admiration for him almost effectively undermines the negative characteristics Jarrod embodies, including, but not limited to, sexism, close-mindedness, lack of empathy, and narcissism.Taika Waititi's film embodies the similar kind of approach to outsider culture as Napoleon Dynamite did three years prior to Eagle vs Shark's release. The difference here is that rather than focusing on empty, intolerable characters we, the audience, were essentially laughing at rather than laughing with, Eagle vs Shark is more empathetic to its characters' situations and looks to profile them by examining why these two souls connect so well, or at least so nonchalantly, together. Waititi, who also serves as the film's writer, crafts a film bent on its own eccentric personality and sense of whimsy, and for the most part, succeeds on the charisma of both Horsley and Clement, who embody one of the more unique on-screen chemistries I have yet to see from independent films.Is Eagle vs Shark consistently funny? Unfortunately no, and there are some long segments where the film drags and meanders, despite only being eighty-seven minutes (even the film's conclusion sometimes feels like it's frustratingly plodding to nowhere fast. Is the film occasionally grating because the personalities of the characters aren't wholly likable? Absolutely. These two nudging features make this film hard to truly love or embrace, but given Waititi's decision to make this a shorter film, one predicated, again, on the warmth of its settings and the quirks of its characters, the film winds up becoming a more tolerable character study than a frustrating examination of misfits. Misfits that, ultimately, you'd rather simply walk past on the street rather than linger on with a camera for an upwards of ninety minutes.Starring: Loren Horsley and Jermaine Clement. Directed by: Taika Waititi.

Eagle vs. Shark is an excellent example of a sort of comedy that New Zealand seems largely to have invented, best represented to the rest of the world by Flight of the Conchords. Essentially, you take characters who are perennial losers and make them play it so straight you can't help but love them. Someone here compared this movie to Napoleon Dynamite, and while it's not a perfect correlation, that's more or less it. (The characters in the Yank movie are more demonstrative and actively absurd, but the angle is the same.) This film in particular is deceptively simple, but viewers who watch closely will see quite a bit of depth. Characters who start out as painfully awkward or embarrassing slowly become endearing; their two-dimensional cartoon-character roles expand ever so subtly into three dimensions, and earn your respect and affection. You'll care about them in the end, perhaps somewhat against your will.It's also funny, in that way that suddenly and unexpectedly makes you laugh out loud, generally at some small turn of phrase or actor's expression. I don't know what all this says about New Zealanders, but as a Canadian, I'm picking up some commonalities. God save the Queen, you hosers.Good movie, eh? See it.

As has been stated before this is in effect the story of the relationship between a man and a woman in country New Zealand. It would be kind to describe them as social misfits. However, in reality, they appear to be people, who whilst ostensibly kind, who have very low I.Q's. Their ignorance of life then presents situations and issues. These situations are sometimes dramatic, never comedic, but always pitiful. This is not just the situation with the main characters, but all the supporting roles have the same faults. The creators of this movie are New Zealanders. I do not know if the underlying theme of this movie is a asocial commentary on rural New Zealand. In making that comment it is in no way meant to be offensive to New Zealanders. It is just that any intended statement in the film in that regard is lost on outsiders. I also gain the impression that the film lost its way and did not know what it wanted to be; drama, comedy etc...Unfortunately the film is to depressing and pitiful to watch or enjoy.

"You sucka, you better watch out you fool. Yay fool. Hey fool. Sucka. You sucka. You foolish sucka. Better watch out. This is the piper, and I want to be pied...paid. Sucka." - Jarrod."I'm so complex!" - Jarrod Taika Waititi directs "Eagle vs Shark". The plot? Jemaine Clement plays Jarrod, a bullied, belittled and battered video game geek who's preoccupied with proving his worth. As he suffers from feelings of inadequacy, Jarrod relies on a variety of bizarre coping mechanisms, some of which involve him holding video game contests so that he may destroy his opponents and boost his ego.Into Jarrod's life steps Lily, played by Loren Horsle. Lily loves Jarrod unconditionally, sees in the guy something no one else does, but Jarrod's too blind to realise this. For much of the film he's oblivious to the doe-eyed girl attached to his side.The film's a comedy, but will only appeal to fans of subtle, weird humour, where bizarre intonations, inflections and mannerisms are lovingly rolled out. "Eagle vs Shark's" style, in which amplified oddness meets low-key comedy, is strongly resemblant of Jared Hess' films, one of which also starred Clement ("Gentlemen Broncos"). Beyond this, actress Loren Horsley – acting primarily with her big eyes and come-hither looks – does good work. The rest of the cast are an assortment of oddballs, goofs and weirdos.8.5/10 - "Napoleon Dynamite" meets Sigmund Freud. Worth two viewings.