The Living Wake [PG]

Self-proclaimed artist and genius, K. Roth Binew is dying of a nameless disease. This was his final day of life. 

I have said before that some of the best films are the ones that just sneak in under the radar. I had never heard of this film, nor had anyone else from what I can gather, but it came into work and has been on the shelf for some time. It must now be said that my attraction for Jesse Eisenberg is rather solidly rooted, so I decided to finally pull this out and give it a go. It is such an interesting and quirky little film… and an absolute delight to be sure. 

Self-proclaimed artist and genius, K. Roth Binew is dying of a nameless disease. On his final day of life, he and his best friend Mills scour the town, inviting its inhabitants to come and see K. Roth leave something for everyone to remember him by: his own living wake. 

The story itself does not really sound all the interesting to be brutally honest, but The Living Wake is really a delightful little dark comedy that opens your eyes and your mind. 

On the surface, our hero is inviting people to his own death ceremony (which gets a chuckle in itself) and righting a few wrongs, tying up some loose ends. But on a deeper level, through his misdemeanours of the day he develops into the literary artist and performance genius that he has proclaimed, yet failed, himself to be. That is where the dark and sad humour creeps into the mix. Not dissimilar to the drama of A Single Man; the hero only finds happiness when it’s too late to revel in it, although the way it was done in this film gives it a more laughable and lightened atmosphere. 

Mike O’Connell stars as K. Roth Binew, our hero, and his performance was both admirable and memorable. He gave us a show that was grandiose, but carefully treads that fine line between poetic and violently screaming. It’s hard to put into words, but his performance was cultured and poetic with a grandiose edge to it, but he knew just how far to push it. He didn’t go over the edge, but held firm on the brink and gave a performance that was literary, poetic, funny, grandiose, unashamed, defiant, and just intriguing. Applause to Mike O’Connell everyone, applause to Mike O’Connell. 

Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Jim Gaffigan, Eddie Pepitone, Ben Duhl, Aaron J. Patton, and Rebecca Comerford, The Living Wake is a delightful little surprise of a film filled with comedy, drama, confrontations, comforts, friendship, and a bit of a plot deception towards the end. It’s a really strange, but memorable little film that I would recommend if you’re in the mood for something light but with a bit of power.