Life During Wartime

Todd Solondz’s first movie since 2004’s underwhelming Palindromes, Life During Wartime boasts as idiosyncratic a sensibility as one as come to expect from the filmmaker and essentially functions as a direct sequel to 1998’s Happiness – with the catch being that all the roles have been recast with new actors. It subsequently becomes clear almost immediately that one’s familiarity with the storylines and character revelations within Happiness will greatly enhance one’s appreciation of Life During Wartime, as Solondz rarely pauses to explain just who these people are and why they’re doing what they’re doing (eg Shirley Henderson’s Joy, previously inhabited by Jane Adams, finds herself haunted by the ghost of Jon Lovitz’s Andy, now played by Paul Reubens). There’s little doubt, however, that the various performers effectively manage to put their own spin on these already-established figures, with the most obvious example of this undoubtedly Ciaran Hinds’ fascinatingly somber take on the sex offender portrayed by Dylan Baker in Happiness – although it’s hard to downplay the effectiveness of a supporting cast that includes Allison Janney, Charlotte Rampling, and Ally Sheedy. Of course, it’s Life During Wartime‘s relentlessly off-color sensibilities that instantly establish it as a product of Solondz’s gleefully deranged mind – with the continual emphasis on hilariously inappropriate bursts of dialogue generally compensating for the film’s flaws (eg in discussing whether or not forgiveness should be extended to the 9/11 hijackers, a character remarks “well, of course you can’t forgive those terrorists – they’re dead!”) It’s not until around the one-hour mark that the movie begins to demonstrably run out of steam, as the plotless atmosphere is slowly but surely hindered by an emphasis on repetitiveness (which, in turn, only highlights the unapologetically deliberate pace). The final result is an endeavor that will surely hold more appeal for Solondz fans than for neophytes, yet there’s no denying the enjoyment that can be derived from seeing Life During Wartime with a large crowd (ie their collective shock at some of the film’s more overtly shocking bits of dialogue would surely be worth the price of a ticket).

**1/2 out of ****