$9.99 (2 Stars)

This is the second Australian stop-motion film that I've watched today. The graphics are far superior to "Mary and Max", but what about the story?

The film derives its title from a book bought by Dave, a young man who's recently been fired from his job as a repo man. The book promises to tell the reader the meaning of life for the low price of $9.99. Before you say Wow, remember that the film takes place in Australia, and 9.99 Australian dollars is the equivalent of 6.70 American dollars. So it's a double Wow.

Now the problems start. We never find out what the meaning of life is. The story jumps from person to person in the building where Dave lives. His brother Lenny, a successful repo man, falls in love with a fashion model who likes men without bones. An old man is visited by an angel who can't fly. The wings are just for show. A boy saves money to buy a model footballer, but when it's time to break open the piggy bank he refuses, because he likes the pig more. Another man makes friends with three tiny men, three inches high, and shares his Belgian beer with them.

For me the film is too random. The film doesn't go anywhere. Does the price $9.99 signify the price of the film on DVD? Anyone who buys it must be disappointed. There is no meaning of life. Everything is absurd. The film is absurd. I'm more likely to find the meaning of life in a bottle of sherry.

The film hasn't been released on disc in England or America, but it's available in most European countries, including Germany.