Lovely By Surprise

Kirt Gunn's latest offering is a quirky, upbeat indie flick with a satisfyingly paranoid edge. Three stories, which started life on the internet as two short films: Lovely by Surprise and The Neverything, are neatly cut together to create the feature length film. Marian, a neurotic, overwrought writer, creates the story of The Neverything: the bizarre tale of two brothers who live on a boat and subsist on nothing but milk and breakfast cereal, whilst Bob, widower and failing car salesman, struggles to come to terms with his loss and his relationship with his daughter who refuses to talk. The good use of music and strong imagery separate the fictional world of the book from that of the writer and salesman, but the division is fractured when Marian tries to kill off one of the brothers and he escapes into the real world. The immense impact of the fictional on the real, especially at times of extreme emotional stress, is adeptly displayed by this twist.
Competent performances from the actors, a great alternative soundtrack and Gunn's fearful overtones of insanity all contribute to make Lovely by Surprise a much more engrossing experience than its bubblegum colour scheme belies.