Based on a series of short stories by Israeli writer Etgar Keret, this Australian slice of stop-motion is one of many that uses the form to create a believable story about normal people living their lives as opposed to anything fantastical. The closest thing that "$9.99" has to an extraordinary element is an angel character voiced by Geoffrey Rush, and even he is a mostly innocuous presence, serving as a positive influence but mostly minding his business on the sidelines. As befitting its short story origins, the film focuses on an ensemble of disparate characters living in a Sydney apartment complex, all of whom are looking to find meaning in their lives.
These individuals run the gamut from a soccer-obsessed young boy, an isolated old widower, and a stoner hallucinating that he has several tiny friends, voiced by an impressive ensemble of Australian talent including Anthony LaPaglia, Ben Mendelsohn, and Joel Edgerton. Beyond the fact that most kids would probably find the stories of normal people living their normal lives to be less than exciting, the fact that those people are dealing with such themes as finding purpose, society's lack of communication, crushing loneliness, and drug addiction — not to mention a few explicit sex scenes — should be more than enough to discourage any younger audiences that the film might have had.
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