Review of Storytelling (2001) by William S — 14 Jul 2008

One of my favorate films. Todd Solondz excels at taking uncomfortable idea about our cultures perceptions and jabbing us in the eye with them. Two stories, not cohesive by any character crossover (via tarintino style) but just by the theme of the film which is the disgust people feel for Selma Blairs true story and the joy people feel for 'Stoneys' story. In a world of stories dominated by happy endings, we are treated to a complex and troubled kid who has been boiled down into an oversimplification to be laughed at because the filmmaker couldn't get the truth out of anyone during the course of his reality family docu. It's heartbreaking because stoney reminds the filmmaker of vauge impressions of himself growing up but eventually gives up trying to find meaning behind his own sence of discontent to create a farce of a character that will appeal to a mass audience. Meanwhile Blairs character pours her heart out about the most taboo of topics, her rape by a black man and gets nothing but shame and disgust for putting it into a story. Reminds me so much of the culture I live in.

Theme: Blairs True story is shameful as fiction where Stoneys story works because it's presented as reality. when in fact they both are the oppisite of what they claim to be. People applaud the filmaker for creating a martyr. people scorn the reality of being a cliche.