Review of Palindromes (2005) by Movie F — 01 Mar 2008

Solondz's "Palindromes" is no "Happiness". The latter film explored sexual deviance in a rather refreshing and provocative manner that was altogether engaging. It featured great acting across the board.

Palindromes is a different beast. The subject matter is equally dark and taboo, but it is dealt with in a different manner. I believe that Solondz's choice to explore the character of Aviva through some 8 different actors initially seems interesting. Great directors have explored similar devices to great success (I'm thinking specifically of Bunuel who had two actresses play the same character in That Obscure Object of Desire). Solondz, however, turns this technique into a mere gimmick. One of the issues is that many of the actresses are downright bad and unconvincing. It's difficult enough to become involved in character development when a director uses such a narrative device. It is even moreso when many of the actresses are terrible.

It is, in part, a disappointing film because the message is so important, and there are some poignant scenes in the film. But Solondz fails to effectively get across the message he is truly interested in, that we never *really* change, and instead has to rely on a supporting character giving a speech and laying it all out. This is a real cop-out and a failure in the screenwriting and direction. Solondz has to tie it all together with this monologue because he's run out of ideas and has not been able to achieve his goal in a *filmic* manner.

A final thing that struck me during the viewing is that the only character I truly sympathized with -- the one who was not (or the least) flawed -- was the accused child molester. It's quite clear that the accusations are false. I find it interesting that he, of all people, is the most level-headed and reasoned of the bunch. He's very honest with himself, which is more than can be said about any other character in the film. Perhaps Solondz felt the need to bring in the heavy hand of a moral compass into an otherwise ambiguous film that leaves the answers up to the viewer's interpretation. I think that was a bad choice, because it ends up weakening the entire premise of the film.