I saw Life During Wartime today at the Toronto International Film Festival. This definitely will be a film to divide audiences--like Solondz's other works from what I've heard. I'm definitely on the side of having enjoyed and appreciate it as an intelligent, thought- provoking, and well-written dark comedy/drama (it certainly defies classification!).
Admittedly the pace is slow and the film drags occasionally. Most of the scenes consist of conversations between just two characters, that alternate between depressing and unintentionally hilarious (owing largely to self-absorbed or tactless exchanges).
LDW is a smart film, it's true-to-life, and it has a lot to say about the nature of forgiveness. You'll see a lot of crying and people apologizing to each other. All of the characters are victims, in a one way or another, and are at with with themselves or with demons from their past. And each character has a different stance on forgiveness. The audience is left to wonder whether it's best to forgive and forget, forgive but never forget, forget but never forgive, or neither forget nor forgive)...
Confused? So was I, but it's fun to discuss afterwards, and put the various characters views on forgiveness into place after the film--and how factors like religion and age interact with these views. Solondz also prompts us to consider the role of forgiveness in 9/11 and the war in the Middle East.
In the end the only real complaint I had was that the film ended so suddenly. I hope we get to revisit these characters one last time. For now, I'm going back and watching Happiness (which I haven't seen in 10 years, and will certain help fill in some gaps given that it focuses on the same family).
Admittedly the pace is slow and the film drags occasionally. Most of the scenes consist of conversations between just two characters, that alternate between depressing and unintentionally hilarious (owing largely to self-absorbed or tactless exchanges).
LDW is a smart film, it's true-to-life, and it has a lot to say about the nature of forgiveness. You'll see a lot of crying and people apologizing to each other. All of the characters are victims, in a one way or another, and are at with with themselves or with demons from their past. And each character has a different stance on forgiveness. The audience is left to wonder whether it's best to forgive and forget, forgive but never forget, forget but never forgive, or neither forget nor forgive)...
Confused? So was I, but it's fun to discuss afterwards, and put the various characters views on forgiveness into place after the film--and how factors like religion and age interact with these views. Solondz also prompts us to consider the role of forgiveness in 9/11 and the war in the Middle East.
In the end the only real complaint I had was that the film ended so suddenly. I hope we get to revisit these characters one last time. For now, I'm going back and watching Happiness (which I haven't seen in 10 years, and will certain help fill in some gaps given that it focuses on the same family).