(2000)
2.5
Jonathan Crow
Mia Trachinger's film recalls the laconic humor of Jim Jarmusch and the absurdist sensibilities of Eugene Ionesco. At its best moments, Bunny is marked by moments of wit and sharp social satire. In one shot, a woman bawls and clutches Nikolai, as he grows increasingly unnerved and uncomfortable. In another, a half dozen stern-faced men in full bunny regalia crowd into the back of a white van. These public security blankets for heartbroken yuppies look haunted and beaten down, like apprehensive soldiers in a losing army. In spite of this, Bunny never quite gels. By the film's end, when the tone shifts from deadpan to meaty drama, the film loses its freshness and edges into the realm of pretension. The film's performances are good across the board. Radiating bruised dignity over the demeaning nature of his job and anguish over the slow dissolution of his marriage, (Edward Dratner) is particularly memorable as Nikolai, while Brian Morri is deliciously unctuous as Luda and Nikolai's boss Mr. Morri. Bunny is an interesting, if ultimately unsuccessful, work by a young director who shows great promise.
Bunny on AllMovie
Bunny (2000)
