Hey folks. Capone in Chicago here, with a brief look at the latest from New Zealand.

There are several candidates for most divisive film in the last five years, but I would have to nominate NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, a film I was lucky enough to discover about two months before it was released, before I'd read a single word about it, in fact. I walked in unsuspecting and came out thoroughly entertained. I'm sure many of you will dismiss or accept my opinion on Eagle Vs. Shark based on my extreme like of DYNAMITE, which is fine I guess, but not especially open minded. EAGLE VS. SHARK will be compared to that film countless times by critics, and the comparison seems both unavoidable and understandable, if not entirely fair. For one thing, this is a far more adult work, even if the characters seem hopelessly awkward. I absolutely fell in love with the sweet Lily (Loren Horsley), as fast-food worker who daydreams about the "handsome" Jarrod (Jemaine Clement, one half of HBO's new series "Flight of the Conchords").

Lily is an absolute misfit. Her voice is deep and whispery, her posture is poor, and her shyness overwhelms everything else about her. But her heart is so big and so pure, I just wanted to give her a big hug for trying so hard. She ends up taking a party invitation meant for another girl Jarrod has a crush on, and shows up at the costume party dressed as her favorite animal: the shark. Videogame shop clerk Jerrod is impressed by her choice (he was selected an eagle costume), and her skills at videogames. The two sleep together after the party, and Lily is officially in love.

Soon, the slightly dismissive Jarrod invites her to his parents home where he reveals his oldest secret: he has been spent 10 years training to kill a high school bully who still lives near his parents' home. In fact, he dumps Lily while at their home so he can concentrate on his training. But as we get to know the players in Jarrod's family, we find out about some fairly sad and upsetting events in their past that explain all too much about the interpersonal relationships at work here.

At its core, the film wants to make us laugh at all its strange behavior, and you probably will. But dig a little deeper, and you'll discover something bordering on a vision from writer-director Taika Waititi. EAGLE VS. SHARK is filled with clumsy and uncomfortable moments that will make you squirm as often as they make you smile (sustained belly laughs aren't really the objective here). I love that sort of story; not everybody does. And even when the plot wasn't working as well for me, Horsley's energy and passion pulled me through.

Capone