Solondz introduced Palindromes as "a delicate film with some trickery" before I screened it at SXSW. Negating the shock and awe of the underage octo-lead character (you'll understand about 25-30 minutes in) bedding down and falling in love with a pedophile, the storytelling is beset with enough lambasting humor that it garners afterthoughts of "oh-kay" as opposed to "whoah." "Happiness" Solondz's measuring stick ultimately achieves the opposite, which is why Palindromes is only as memorable as its title applies and insinuates.
Its delicacy is in its unflinching bravery to expose what most independent filmmakers can and will only attempt to suggest. How can one artist be so elegant with such subject manner and not be jailed is tribute enough. (SPOILER ALERT) Solondz's trickery comes this time (the whole "Storytelling" box out scene in retrospect seems childish and silly) in the form of multiple actresses playing the same part (it's a statement in of itself about our melting pot). But this is only a facade of his manipulations. All at once we become consumed by his humorous, not withstanding pretentious ploys and fall stomach-twisting first into a disheartening and captivating snapshot of today's American Average (rather that's New Jersey Average). When it's all tied up with a preachy bookend, one reflects back to the beginning of Aviva's escapades (the title character's name) and wonders what the hell was so funny anyway.
Note that preachy bookend too, which obviously is an in the face attempt to disprove once and for all his dirty-minded skeptics that he is indeed NOT as his artistic endeavors would suggest anything like his characters in the form of Mike Wiener (brother of Dawn from "Welcome to the Dollhouse") much ados Solondz's efforts as his title suggests: he is not going to change, so deal with it. I just hope Todd grows a little fatter, or darker, or less self-evasive with his lavish lamentations of all that ales Americana.
Its delicacy is in its unflinching bravery to expose what most independent filmmakers can and will only attempt to suggest. How can one artist be so elegant with such subject manner and not be jailed is tribute enough. (SPOILER ALERT) Solondz's trickery comes this time (the whole "Storytelling" box out scene in retrospect seems childish and silly) in the form of multiple actresses playing the same part (it's a statement in of itself about our melting pot). But this is only a facade of his manipulations. All at once we become consumed by his humorous, not withstanding pretentious ploys and fall stomach-twisting first into a disheartening and captivating snapshot of today's American Average (rather that's New Jersey Average). When it's all tied up with a preachy bookend, one reflects back to the beginning of Aviva's escapades (the title character's name) and wonders what the hell was so funny anyway.
Note that preachy bookend too, which obviously is an in the face attempt to disprove once and for all his dirty-minded skeptics that he is indeed NOT as his artistic endeavors would suggest anything like his characters in the form of Mike Wiener (brother of Dawn from "Welcome to the Dollhouse") much ados Solondz's efforts as his title suggests: he is not going to change, so deal with it. I just hope Todd grows a little fatter, or darker, or less self-evasive with his lavish lamentations of all that ales Americana.