Review of Palindromes (2005) by John C — 05 Apr 2009

It is such a shame that this film (one that is dense and intelligent yet unnecessarily repugnant due to prolonged sequences of child sex) comes off as crass and exploitative because it has so much to say. It gets points because it lingers and make you think about what is trying to be communicated (the abortion issue, child exploitation by pedophiles, determinism/fatalism), but loses them all in the last scene.

I am a fan of some of his other films (Welcome to the Dollhouse and Happiness, but not Storytelling), so I am always willing to give his work a spin, but this one is starting to turn me off of him. Like Larry Clark, his fascination with pre-teen sex is just not something I care to watch. Regardless of the message being presented, being bombarded with it film after film begins to make me question the filmmakers motives rather than his message and aim. Too bad really, because he is a talented director.