$9.99 (2008)

A stop-motion animated story about people living in a Sydney apartment complex looking for meaning in their lives.

Director:

Tatia Rosenthal

Writers:

Etgar Keret (screenplay), Etgar Keret (short stories)

Stars:

Geoffrey Rush, Anthony LaPaglia, Samuel Johnson

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Geoffrey Rush	...	Angel (voice)
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Jim Peck (voice)
Samuel Johnson	...	Dave Peck (voice)
Barry Otto	...	Albert (voice)
Joel Edgerton	...	Ron (voice)
Claudia Karvan	...	Michelle (voice)
Ben Mendelsohn	...	Lenny Peck (voice)
Leeanna Walsman	...	Tanita (voice)
Jamie Katsamatsas	...	Zack (voice)
Brian Meegan	...	Clement (voice)
Roy Billing	...	Marcus Portman / Policeman #1 (voice)
David Field	...	Sammy (voice)
Leon Ford	...	Stanton (voice)
Tom Budge	...	Bisley (voice)
Henry Nixon	...	Drazen / Beanbag / Radio Announcer (voice)

Storyline

A stop-motion animated story about people living in a Sydney apartment complex looking for meaning in their lives.

---

Plot Keywords:

stop motion | nudity | male nudity | piggy bank | block of flats | 

---

Genres:

Animation | Drama | Fantasy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and brief sexuality and nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

You can see a record in this film called "The Dark Side of the Room" by the band Pink Wall. This is a play on words of Pink Floyd, The Wall and The Dark Side of the Moon

---

Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: It's Not Ogre Yet (2018)

---

Soundtracks

Operina
Composed by Joel Diamond
Performed by Joel Diamond and Anya Fidelia
License courtesy of Joel Diamond

User Reviews

Find your own meaning.

I guess a lot of people went into this movie expecting something more straightforward and "meaningful" due to its premise. Perhaps they were expecting some sort of insight into the meaning of life; after all, one of the main characters does buy a book for the titular $9.99 which purports to know.

Instead what we have is a delightful collection of interwoven short stories, all sharing in a similar theme of what it means to be happy, with surrealist angle that gives it an almost fairytale feel, but which never detracts from its believability.

The characters are made out of clay, but they're people, and even in their mundane lives, they still have interesting stories to see play out. None of them are heroes, or villains, or otherwise anything more or less than ordinary enough people. They have flaws, and fears, and insecurities, but they manage to make do with what they have to give their lives meaning, and it's the sort of thing that happens all the time in the real world, just sans some feathers and swimming techniques.

This movie never bludgeons you over the head with things the director feels are profound or meaningful, it sits down with you for some tea and chats amiably about its day, and lets you draw your own conclusions. If you want a movie to just relax and get lost in, you probably won't go wrong with $9.99.

Details

Official Sites:

Memento Films [France] Official site

Country:

Israel Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 September 2009 (Australia)

Also Known As:

$ 9.99

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$478, 14 December 2008

Gross USA:

$52,384

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$708,354

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lama Films, Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1