Review of Palindromes (2005) by Bryan G — 19 Nov 2005

[color=white]I'm a fan of Todd Solondz, but his newest effort, "Palindromes," left me feeling awkward and unclean. The film, first of all, is built around a gimmick -- the main character is played by eight different actors -- that never really feels necessary (unlike in Solondz's "Storytelling," where he censored a racy sequence with a red box in order to give a big up-yours to the MPAA).

Solondz loves to push the envelope, and he does that in this film (topics include abortion, pedophilia, and murder), but he also includes several characters who are deformed, and he literally allows them to parade around in front of the camera for our amusement.

While it's unclear as to whether Solondz is laughing at these characters or not (which he probably isn't, as he always has genuine affection for his twisted characters), the inclusion of such material diverts our attention from whatever point Solondz is trying to make, and it's just plain unsettling.

You should see this film either because you're curious or because you want to be challenged by a film, but otherwise, see one of Solondz's other films, or, for a better and more intelligent look at the issue of abortion, see Alexander Payne's "Citizen Ruth.

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