Spoilers herein.
Solondz is a modern Woody Allen. Both are obsessed with how film fiction and life reinforce each other. But where Woody filled his empty spaces with love and gentle angst about love in a slapstick context, Solondz cavorts darkly. He sees the penalties.
In both cases, most viewers really think the reason for the films to exist is the stuff used as filler: that Woody's films for instance are about city life and love.
Nah. And many people will be similarly distracted here and comment on matters of race and generational distance and various exploitations. Nah, again.
The very point is that we are so easily distracted and enmeshed in narrative that we cannot tease out the mechanics of life from that of film. The notion of `race` is a fiction made real by popular art. The notion of sex in love as well. The notion of truth is a deliberate fabrication of fiction in order to give itself power.
I give credit to Solondz. He hits the same sweet spot Woody often does by proving his point by using that point to confound us. Where Woody entertains, Solondz distracts.
Watch this only if you are interested in thinking about film.
`Safe' is a much more subtle and effective essay on this same matter. It actually enlists the actress (the multilayered Moore) in the endeavor, something that Solondz apparently cannot do.
`Death on the Seine' is more stimulating to my mind because it explores restoring reality.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
Solondz is a modern Woody Allen. Both are obsessed with how film fiction and life reinforce each other. But where Woody filled his empty spaces with love and gentle angst about love in a slapstick context, Solondz cavorts darkly. He sees the penalties.
In both cases, most viewers really think the reason for the films to exist is the stuff used as filler: that Woody's films for instance are about city life and love.
Nah. And many people will be similarly distracted here and comment on matters of race and generational distance and various exploitations. Nah, again.
The very point is that we are so easily distracted and enmeshed in narrative that we cannot tease out the mechanics of life from that of film. The notion of `race` is a fiction made real by popular art. The notion of sex in love as well. The notion of truth is a deliberate fabrication of fiction in order to give itself power.
I give credit to Solondz. He hits the same sweet spot Woody often does by proving his point by using that point to confound us. Where Woody entertains, Solondz distracts.
Watch this only if you are interested in thinking about film.
`Safe' is a much more subtle and effective essay on this same matter. It actually enlists the actress (the multilayered Moore) in the endeavor, something that Solondz apparently cannot do.
`Death on the Seine' is more stimulating to my mind because it explores restoring reality.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.