Post by JCriquet on Feb 16, 2004 2:21:26 GMT 10
Hey guys,
Sorry for starting yet another new thread. Just didn't know where to file this one.
Today I watched Happiness, Todd Solondz' 1998 film. Dang. Tha's some black shit.
* S P O I L E R S *
Focusing, as I tend to do, on the moments I liked: there were quite a few. John Lovitz saying that he's champagne. Vlad's t-shirt when he opens the door to Joy. Lenny putting salt on his plate at the end was probably the highlight of this film for me.
But, like so much oversalted chicken, a lot of this film was hard to swallow. And bleak. And just sickening. But maybe that's what makes this film good: its ability to evoke such feelings. Like in Bill's dream where he starts mowing down various bystanders: even when you see the gun, see him ready it and hold it up, you're not sure anything's gonna happen; not until the first shot rang out did I actually think it was gonna happen, and then when it happened it really shook me up.
This film had lots of great stories and whatnot, but I'm still not sure I see the point, if any. Does Solondz intend to illustrate a belief that human beings are terrible creatures, motivated only by selfishness? Look at Joy: she tries to do good, but in the end sides with the strikers. It's scary.
Dylan Baker was brilliant, though. I don't remember him in anything else, but I'm sure I'll notice him next time. And Philip Seymour Hoffman remains one of my favourite actors, disgusting as this character was!
This was my first Todd Solondz film. I'll look for more.
Sorry for starting yet another new thread. Just didn't know where to file this one.
Today I watched Happiness, Todd Solondz' 1998 film. Dang. Tha's some black shit.
* S P O I L E R S *
Focusing, as I tend to do, on the moments I liked: there were quite a few. John Lovitz saying that he's champagne. Vlad's t-shirt when he opens the door to Joy. Lenny putting salt on his plate at the end was probably the highlight of this film for me.
But, like so much oversalted chicken, a lot of this film was hard to swallow. And bleak. And just sickening. But maybe that's what makes this film good: its ability to evoke such feelings. Like in Bill's dream where he starts mowing down various bystanders: even when you see the gun, see him ready it and hold it up, you're not sure anything's gonna happen; not until the first shot rang out did I actually think it was gonna happen, and then when it happened it really shook me up.
This film had lots of great stories and whatnot, but I'm still not sure I see the point, if any. Does Solondz intend to illustrate a belief that human beings are terrible creatures, motivated only by selfishness? Look at Joy: she tries to do good, but in the end sides with the strikers. It's scary.
Dylan Baker was brilliant, though. I don't remember him in anything else, but I'm sure I'll notice him next time. And Philip Seymour Hoffman remains one of my favourite actors, disgusting as this character was!
This was my first Todd Solondz film. I'll look for more.
