$9.99

Best described as an urban fairy tale that is neither utopian or dystopian--it is other worldly and yet familiar, difficult and yet somehow the claymation makes the story somehow softer. And make no mistake--this is an adults-only animated movie--not quite on the level of 'Team America', but definitely in that neighborhood.
The involves a diverse group of people who live in a corner apartment building. The movie follows a young boy (voiced by Jamie Katsamatsas) who pines for a new toy, a man and his fiancee (Joel Edgerton and Claudia Karvan) who are having relationship issues and a lonely old man (Barry Otto) as he takes up conversation with a bonafide foul-mouthed angel (Geoffrey Rush). These characters all play a part in a story which centers on a father (Anthony LaPaglia) hoping for the best in life and for his two sons, Dave and Lenny. Lenny (Ben Mendelsohn) is a repo man that has fallen for a supermodel and will go to any lengths--which are extreme and Lenny does them without a thought or a care--to make her happy. Dave (Samuel Johnson) is unemployed and while he whips up magnificent food, he is deemed unqualified to be a telemarketing agent. In his despair Dave buys a $9.99 booklet claiming to have the secrets to the meaning of life, which serves to play a significant role in his life while becoming the theme of the film itself. Or at least it seems to.

$9.99 does its best not to ask any questions, or really answer them, in hopes the audience will come to grips with their own personal curiosities and formulate their own questions as they best see fit when it comes to the eternal question – "What makes you happy?" And no one character seems equipped to help us answer that. Dave comes the closest, but does so with a book that he has received but did not order. The angel seems gratuitous and unhelpful. And almost nobody makes any gains in the whole movie--which may indeed be the message for us. Not a feel-good movie, and one that some may really dislike, but I thought it was thought-provoking and unusual.