Usually I begin my reviews by talking about whether or not I'm a fan of the film's creator or source material. Well, am I a Todd Solondz fan? Excellent question. There's stuff of his I certainly enjoy, like Happiness. But there are films of his I'm very mixed on.
I wouldn't say he's one of my favorites because I'd watch his movies over and over if he was. I'll instead say I respect Todd Solondz because, while his films can be a mixed bag, the man has balls. He writes good screenplays about very uncomfortable subject matter. Just watch Happiness. The man actually made you feel for a child molester. That is talent. But there are his other films. A lot of his fans really seem to love his 1995 film Welcome to the Dollhouse. While it is an admirable film, I can't say I'm a fan. I found the film so uncomfortable that I've only watched it once and haven't planned on watching it since. It may be my least favorite of his.
Storytelling I enjoyed. Palindromes? Decent film, but just really awkward and uncomfortable. So there's only been one film of his I really loved, and the others got a mixed reaction from me. But with his first film since Palindromes may be his best since Happiness.
Life During Wartime is the name of Solondz' latest look at the seedy underbelly of polite society. It's somewhat of a sequel to Happiness, being set ten years later, involving the same characters. But the bizarre thing is nobody from the cast of Happiness is back. No Dylan Baker. Instead he's replaced by the rather scarier looking Ciaran Hinds. The offbeat yet charming Jane Adams is replaced by Shirley Henderson, who just strikes me as awkward and, I hate to be this guy, kinda homely. Jon Lovitz is replaced by Paul Reubens. Which actually kind of works. Call me crazy, but the change made sense, because I can see some sort of a resemblance.
So, at first, the cast changes bothered me. But I got over it quickly. The actors all turned in fine performances. I particularly liked Allison Janney (from Juno and Away We Go). And it's good to see Michael Lerner in the film, who I really liked watching on Barton Fink.
So the film takes place ten years later. Joy eventually got married, but it's not going very well. Trish has moved on since her husband got arrested for child molestation. Her two (in Happiness) very young children are lead to believe their father died as they got older. And their oldest, Billy (now in College), has gone along with it, hoping to forget what his father did to his best friend. And to get over Bill, she is now seeing somebody else, whom she intends to marry.
Joy needs a break from her husband, so she comes to Florida to stay with her writer sister. In the meantime, she is frequently visited by the ghost of her ex-boyfriend (Reubens), who is still very much in love with her. Meanwhile, Bill is released from jail and is looking to get his life back on track and reconnect with his family.
Whatever problems I had with Solondz' previous films has really been polished up. He brought in his A-game as a director and a screenwriter, making it the best film he's done in a long time. It's still very awkward, and there is still that wicked deadpan sense of humor, but it's at its best. Which was a relief, since it's been some time since his last movie. It really surpassed my expectations, as I had mixed feelings on the project since hearing about it a few years ago.
If you like Solondz' brand of black humor, even if you aren't a fan of his last couple films, this is really worth a watch.
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