Solondz gives us a sequel to his classic Happiness. Happiness was a film of great hilarity, unexpected warmth, and uncomfortable darkness. The first thing to note here is that everyone has been recast. It's been recast to such an extent that half the fun is for those familiar with Happiness to identify the characters. Some are easily recognizable and some are completely different. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is now a slim black guy. The characters are moving on from their lives in the original, but it still feels disconnected. This is probably why Solondz did major recasting, so we can appreciate this on its own. Unfortunately the acting isn't up there with Happiness. Everyone seems desperate to channel the awkward humor, resulting in a film that seems like parody at times. Baker added heart as well as tragedy to his twisted character, Hinds feels a bit more dark and menacing. There could have been so much dramatic intensity, with the children, now older, confronting their father. Instead it settles for quirky moments that mention politics and refer to pedophiles as terrorists. An interesting film for those wanting to see a progression in the characters, but you can expect to be confused and kind of wanting to just watch Happiness again.
Review of Life During Wartime
