“Bunny” tells the story of Luda (Petra Tikalova) and her husband Nik (Edward Dratver), who have escaped their country to get away from a heavy civil war going on, to begin a new life in the States.
For housing, they go to Aunt Elsie (Elizabeth Liebel), a long-lost friend of Luda’s mother, who met a not-so-nice ending in the war torn country. Luda and Nik obviously have a strong marriage as is exhibited in the first few scenes in their new home as well as scenes where they go to look for a job together. Despite the fact that Luda has a law degree, that doesn’t help her here, but she and Nik eventually find a job through an old friend named Pecha (Eugene Alper). A guy named Morri (Brian Morri) runs the company and the job is…are you ready for this? The job involves dressing up in a pink bunny suit and hopping up and down slightly on street corners and be “comfort people,” so to speak, to the pedestrians that come across them.
Trachinger is exceptionally talented in knowing what is needed to make her film work and what details are in excess of what she wants. Certain elements like the name of the company involved in the business (and even the business name), the name of the war-torn country, and the illness that befalls Nik later on in the movie are not known because who needs ‘em?? Perhaps the real reason for not naming all of that is to mirror the situation that Luda and Nik are in, the fact that they don’t know too much about our land as it is. One other detail appreciated is the fact that you may feel uncomfortable with seeing people in pink bunny suits doing what could be considered one of the world’s weirdest careers. I did at first, but then realized that perhaps the feeling is mirroring what Luda and Nik are going through in that perspective as well. You’re hired for a job that requires you to bounce up and down slightly at a street corner in a bunny suit…how would you feel??
Petra Tikalova and Edward Dratver’s performances are as good as it gets when it comes to immigrants unsure of a new land. They do what they can in good times and bad and at the point where the marriage is threatened. The film does not slide into a “fish-out-of-water” joke and I’m glad for that because the “fish-out-of-water” idea has gotten so stale. The supporting performances are just as strong here, including the people who visit the bunnies for solace and comfort in times when their own lives basically suck.
“Bunny” is quite an affecting film with characters that really are worth giving a damn about. Trachinger needs to get out there and make more films and I hope that many financial backers will see the way toward that. More Trachinger movies!!! Come on!!!
