The lead character in Eagle vs. Shark works at a fast food chain that boasts a “crazy burger”—bun in the middle, sandwiched between two hamburger patties. The film itself is a something of a crazy burger.
Imagine Napoleon Dynamite, but this time Napoleon’s living in New Zealand, dealing with bigger issues, and instead of “Gosh!” his new favourite line is “Sucka,” complete with a Kiwi accent. Now, sandwich Napoleon between the quirky cuteness of Me and You and Everyone We Know and the stark emotional messiness of Junebug.
The film is writer and director Taika Waititi’s first feature length film. Waititi recently gained fame down under through work with Jemaine Clement with the comedy duo Humourbeasts. He also wrote and directed two episodes of Clement’s new HBO (and Youtube) fictionalized bio-series, The Flight of the Conchords.
With Eagle vs. Shark, Waititi and Clement again team up, this time to bring to the screen a story written by Waititi’s partner, Loren Horsley, who also co-stars in the film.
The story navigates romance between two social outcasts. Jarrod, played by Clement, is a video game store employee. Among his friends, he’s the top-rated player of a Streetfighter-style game called Fightman, a sculptor of quirky candles, and full of false confidence. After spending his life being bullied, feeling insecure about his golden-boy older brother and having a strained relationship with his father, Jarrod is consumed with restoring honour to his name by fighting a high-school bully. While his Data-rock (Star Trek in the front, party in the back) hair cut and awkward, defensive self-assurance make for some hilarious scenes, his issues run deeper than a goofy look and poorly chosen words.
Lily (Horsley) is an unhappy cashier at the fast-food restaurant where Jarrod eats lunch everyday. Lily is sweet and sincere, but inexperienced and insecure. She lives alone with her older brother, who draws cartoons of their cats and is “really good” at impersonating movie stars.
In the opening scene we see Lily looking into her bathroom mirror, acting out an imaginary scene where Jarrod declares his love for her, though it quickly becomes apparent that Jarrod doesn’t know she exists. The two finally meet when Lily goes to Jarrod’s annual ‘dress as your favourite animal’ party.
Lily dresses in an elaborate shark costume, while Jarrod comes as an eagle. Their destiny is decided when Jarrod, who usually speaks in monosyllables, tells Lily that he used to come as a shark, but then he “realized eagle was slightly better.” Later, when the two find themselves alone in his bedroom, their relationship begins when Jarrod asks Lily if she wants him to kiss her. “Yep,” comes her monosyllablic response, one that is heard throughout the movie, punctuating those awkward scenes all the more. His response accurately sums up their mutual uncertainty: “But on the lips though?”
After a less than romantic sexual encounter during which they both stay mostly dressed in their animal costumes, the two start dating.
When Jarrod needs a ride to his hometown to fight his high-school nemesis, Lily’s brother drives the couple to the small town, where traditional New Zealand landscape scenery—craggy rocks, green mountains, crashing waves—finally shows up in the film.
It is here, removed from polyester work uniforms and the artifical lights of the mall, that Lily’s character really comes to life. Though Jarrod’s family is a recipe for disfunction—complete with his illegitimate child, disabled father and scheming sister and brother-in-law—she sees through the emotional muddle and unwittingly begins to break down walls.
Though the movie is endearingly funny, Eagle vs. Shark is the furthest thing from the traditional romantic comedy. Instead of a story about instant attraction between mutually beautiful, well-adjusted singles, Jarrod and Lily’s warty love affair flies in the face of convention by portraying a love that stays—even in the face of bad behaviour, unsightly emotions and, ugliest of all, the acknowledgement of each other’s insecurities.
Near the end of the film, after a disappointing outcome to the fight with the high-school bully, Jarrod retreats to one of those famous New Zealand mountains, cocooning himself in a sleeping bag. Though by this time he’s treated her badly, broken her heart and made a fool of himself, Lily follows him, bringing her own sleeping bag. She sits beside him, moving her sleeping bag when he moves, all day and into the night.
Eagle vs. Shark finds beauty in the unconventional and brings redemption to characters Hollywood would have discarded. Though the humour comes easily, the term “painfully awkward” fits here, as the intimacy and nearness of emotion bring a discomfort seldom experienced by watching a more traditional love story.
The film’s sparse production further emphasizes the connections between the characters, as style falls away to focus the attention on the characters who come to live in the hyper real, brightly coloured landscape of the film. The opening credits are a stop-motion animated nature piece, depicting apples falling, ants crawling and seagulls flying. Throughout the film, there are mini-interludes that pick up on this story, creating an apple-themed allegory that ties into Lily and Jarrod’s story.
Towards the end of film, Lily says, “Life is hard, I think, but in between the hard bits, there are some really lovely bits.” Eagle vs. Shark’s lovely bits are indeed lovely. Lily’s wide-eyed love is as tangible as Jarrod’s fear and his father’s anger, and when Lily and Jarrod find peace together, they really shine.
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Eagle vs. Shark will be playing at the Screening Room until Thursday.
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