Directed by Todd Solondz, this ensemble film tells the tale of a large dysfunctional family. Joy (Shirley Henderson) continues to have problems with her husband, Allen (Michael Kenneth Williams), and looks to her family for advice. A dead former boyfriend (Paul Reubens) continues to try to win her heart from the great beyond. Joy's sister, Trish (Allison Janney), meets a retiree whom she hopes will normalize her chaotic life. A third sister, screenwriter Helen (Ally Sheedy), is full of
bitterness toward both her family and her career. Their mother, Mona (Renée Taylor), wants absolutely nothing to do with men. And, ex-con Bill (Ciarán Hinds), Trish's former husband, wants to reconcile with their son. Life During Wartime is a pseudo-sequel to Solondz's Happiness with different actors playing the same characters from that earlier film. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
works extremely well, especially in the way its challenging material is contrasted by the bright, sunny cinematography, which captures southern Florida in all its gaudy, inferno-ice-cream-colored splendor
It feels a little wrong, even perverse, to describe a Todd Solondz film as 'fun'. But Life During Wartime - the sequel to his acclaimed and highly disturbing 1998 picture Happiness - is fun.
Wouldn't the world be wonderful if Inception were the film left to straggle through a two-week run in the art houses, and Life During Wartime got to be the blockbuster?
Definitely not a film for everybody, but (Todd) Solondz fans...will find plenty to chew on as he continues his exploration into the wounded lives of three sisters and their fractured families.
Todd Solondz's "Life During Wartime" is full of characters who make the same mistakes over and over again, unable to change their bad habits. He must know just how they feel.
Life During Wartime, which feels like a movie made to fulfill a contractual obligation, says nothing new, nothing that Happiness didn't already say, only better.
I don't know if this is a negative thing to say about a Solondz film, but there are ultimately glimmers in this one of what could almost be described as hope.
Like most of (no, more like all of) Todd Solondz's work, this film is not for everyone. I am a huge fan of Happiness and Welcome to the Dollhouse and even found a soft spot for Palindromes. I think he is one of the most original writer/director's out there. I like the fact that he makes you uncomfortable and, by doing
that, probably makes some of the most human films we have seen. This film is about forgiveness and while it has some missteps (I understand the fact that they are kids, but Dylan Riley Snyder as Timmy was nails on a chalk board bad in some scenes), I still felt something after watching it and that's more than I can say for a lot of things I watch these days.
September 4, 2011
Tim Sigur
Super Reviewer
There are a bunch of great moments and performances in Todd Solondz's "LIFE DURING WARTIME," and some dialogue that ranks with his best, but the film never fully gels as a whole or a standalone. A "sequel" of sorts to the fantastic "Happiness," Solondz's latest feels like it was made so the director himself could
revisit and give (some) closure to these characters he obviously has a lot of love for, but he in turn never delivers a narrative that viewers can fully connect with (especially when compared to HAPPINESS; which is immanent). Still, I liked the film. It's completely (disappointingly) tame and it may be kind of forgettable, but the quirky charm and hints of greatness won me over. A mild recommendation.. Despite what you may have heard, watch HAPPINESS first! You'll probably hate this film otherwise. Not knowing who the characters are going in will make portions extremely frustrating.
No quotes approved yet for Life During Wartime. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'Life During Wartime'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
Top Critic
