Movies

Todd Solondz is unique and so are his films. He forces you to look through an angle that we systematically ignore. There is an element of tenderness that permeates the darkest of corners and compassion emerges, limpid, clear even rational. This is, if possible, a sequel to his masterful "Happiness" The pain is still palpable but there is a hint of hope, China or not China. "I don't care about freedom or democracy, I care about my dad" Yes, I hear you kid. In the midst of it all, I hear you. Added bonuses: Cieran Hids as a scary, powerful presence. Allison Janney, one of the best American actresses working today. Charlotte Rampling makes an appearance as a sort of escapee from an erotic nightmare and don't you dare ignore or let this film pass you by. Todd Solondz is a great, startling American poet.

During 2020, I started watching the films that the critics praised, and blockbuster films in recent years.The more I watch, the more I painfully realize those "art" movies awarded in film festivals are just not worth watching at all.And I am such a guy that people hate me when I talk about a film they've never heard of and start talking about it.I heard about the film, and it was on my watch-list, and there it goes...Or, I cannot endure pretentious films that pretend to criticize how pretentious people live their lives.I never consider things as good or bad, and not for this one, either. It is just pretentious and inadequate to convey whatever it pretends not to shout out.

Todd Solandz's films are generally hit-or-miss affairs, and the line between hitting or missing is generally quite fine. Always emotionally intense, and character-based, they can be taxing, even dull or pretentious, but hold the promise of being mind-blowingly profound. Solandz's magnum opus was Happiness, in 1998. An incredibly profound movie, it hit the spot. Palindromes, in 2004, missed the spot, seeming random and pretentious. Life in Wartime has the potential to be like Happiness, but is always teetering on the edge of being nothing-dressed-up-as-something, like Palindromes. In the end it is an interesting journey, but it never clicks up that notch necessary to make it profound. In the end you feel that the journey was a waste of time.