When three lives -- each complex and troubled in their own, unique way -- become inadvertently intertwined in director Alison Bagnall's 2015 Funny Bunny, the result is a beautifully quirky piece of art that is as accessible as it is genuine. Gene (Kentucker Audley, Ain't Them Bodies Saints) is a devoted crusader against childhood obesity, making little headway in his hapless door-to-door campaign when he meets Titty (Olly Alexander, the UK's Skins), a wealthy yet immature young man who came by his fortune after suing his father for embezzling his inheritance. Titty lives alone in a barren mansion, shut off from the world except for the Internet, where he spends hours -- and hundreds of dollars -- watching a livestream of Ginger's (Joslyn Jensen, Without) day-to-day life.
After Gene's former wife finally forces him out of their home -- which she now shares with her new partner -- Gene has nowhere to turn but to Titty and his expansive, empty home. Brought together through adversity, and each nursing feelings of abandonment, Gene and Titty strike up an unlikely friendship as they embark on a road trip to Ginger's home. Though Titty has never met Ginger, he believes he's in love. Ginger's reaction to their unannounced appearance on her doorstep is, however, to understandably freak out. Sending them away with threats of violence, she later reconsiders despite their awkward first meeting, reaching out to the men in a veiled attempt at friendship whilst hoping to recruit them as members of her animal rights activist group.
As Ginger's floundering troupe of cohorts plan what could only be an ill-fated attempt to liberate pigs from a nearby farm, she, Titty and Gene, explore the myriad emotional and social dynamics of their respective relationships, venturing slowly into friendship and then perhaps more. But Ginger is damaged in her own way, so navigating this new terrain is challenging for all three. Funny Bunny is a quirky, interesting and thoughtful film that delves deeply into the heart of human relationships, social interactions, and the insecurities we all harbor -- some greater than others. The performances by Audley, Alexander and Jensen are each thoughtful and genuine, providing meaningful glimpses into the heartfelt lives of these three, curious characters.
If you're looking for something new, enticing and different, don't miss the Calgary International Film Festival encore screening of Funny Bunny on Saturday, October 3, 7:00 p.m. at Cineplex Odeon Eau Claire Market.