Review of Palindromes (2005) by Alexander R — 28 Mar 2008

Walking away from a Todd Solonz feeling okay is kind of like jumping into a pool and staying dry - it's not very likely. He is the master of making an audience feel sad and awkward. Yet, I can't deny his brutal honesty. A lot of people say this film is a little too brutal. They might be right. The movie does seem to go out of its way sometimes to be more sad or immoral. It also runs along the border of absurd sometimes with its dialog ("Last year, our daughter ran away even though she didn't even have any legs!"). Still, this movie is a clever film that provokes all kinds of emotions in a way only Todd Solondz could. Oh what's it about? Abortion and characters with many different perspectives on it. To simply call it an intellectual thinker or thought provoker would be cruel however. Solondz's films are much more humane than that.

I could go on and touchy subject matter like abortion really calls for elaboration, but alas, homework calls. I guess I'll just leave you with the advice that if you should see a Solonz film, don't expect to feel comfortable and to leave the popcorn in the cabinet.