Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself. Really, he does; he’s tried numerous times using various methods such as hanging and drowning. Harbour, Wilbur’s brother, is as selfless as Wilbur is selfish and refuses to let him successfully off himself.

The story is set in Glasgow where the brothers have inherited a bookstore from their father and while Harbour has taken on the upkeep of the business, Wilbur continues working at a children’s nursery (and thinking of ways to kill himself). When Wilbur’s latest attempt at self-destruction fails, he is evicted from his apartment for putting the other tenants of the building at risk. Harbour suicide proofs his home and Wilbur moves in.

Alice cleans the local hospital at night, taking books left behind by patients and selling them to Harbour for extra money. Unfortunately, she tends to oversleep, thereby arriving late for work, which results in her being ‘sacked’. When Harbour finds out she won’t be back to sell more books he asks her to marry him.

With the addition of Alice and her daughter, Mary, to the household, Wilbur begins to think of someone other than himself. The four housemates become a close-knit family, but the unexpected has ways of changing priorities and Wilbur is forced to accept the value of his life.

Don’t let the title fool you; Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself isn’t a macabre exploration into suicide. It is a poignant tale of learning to live and accepting death.

As with most movies, it isn’t without faults. The Characters weren’t fully developed. For instance, we never really learn why Wilbur is set on committing suicide. On the plus side, Jamie Sives’ performance is fantastic and the musical score was perfectly orchestrated for added emotional impact.





Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age