Who knew Bennett Miller had such a wicked sense of humor? Those who saw the excellent but dour as hell “Foxcatcher” certainly had no idea. The director of the feel-good wrestling picture of 2014, as well as “Capote” and the underrated “Moneyball,” apparently decided to put his recent Cannes win for Best Director to good use as he recently rolled out (pun very much intended) a string of toilet paper commercials for Quilted Northern. Why toilet paper? Why not? A-list directors helming commercials for big time corporations is not a new thing: Wes Anderson directed American Express commercials; David Fincher did Nike, Spike Jonze promoted Levi’s, and there’s countless other examples.
READ MORE: Wes Anderson’s 5 Best Commercials
Working almost like a parody of contemporary American art house cinema, complete with a neutral and inert third person narration usually found in Wes Anderson’s work, the ads tell the tragic story of the pictures and trinkets found in almost any bathroom in America, and how damaged they all became after years of having to watch their owners do nasty things in front of their very eyes. The ads are kind of like a toilet version of “Toy Story,” except with more poop, and a lot more quiet resentment.
First we meet Daddy Gator, a plastic toy who’s struggling to move himself and his Baby Gator to a better place. It looks like even a forgotten corner of the garage would be a better spot for this poor family. Next we have Little Miss Puffytail, a suicidal ceramic rabbit who prays for the peaceful release of death after being forced to watch people relieve themselves for years. And finally, the old picture of Great Grandpa Thaddeus placed right across the crapper would surely love to have the ability to kick himself for that time he wished he could have seen his great grandchildren. You can watch the quilted goodness below. [The Guardian]