"Life During Wartime" is a follow-up to "Happiness," the greatest film ever made. What? You disagree with me? Okay, okay, maybe I'm a tad out of bounds with this proclamation, but for my money, "Happiness" is a standard bearer for that most precious of genres, the black comedy. It's easily the toughest film genre to excel at, and writer/director Todd Solondz is already one of its star directors, even if he never makes another film. After putting out some fairly mediocre stuff, Solondz decided to re-visit the characters of "Happiness," once again.
It's now twelve years in the future, and his primary players are as mentally deranged as ever, but gone are the likes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I knew virtually nothing about Hoffman before seeing him in "Happiness," but after seeing the film, I told everyone I knew that he would one day win an Oscar (Hey, I'm right once in a while). He carried the twisted yet somehow sympathetic character of Allen in a way that few if any other actors could. The other characters were also well cast, if not as exceptional as Hoffman.
"Life During Wartime" falls well short of its predecessor, but Solondz can still draw some of the most nutty characters to ever trot across the big screen. What's missing here is perverse empathy. That was what distinguished "Happiness." Where else have you ever seen a pedophile in a comedic kind of role where you really didn't hate him, despite what he is up to. I'm not saying you love the guy, but you almost feel for him.
In "Wartime," Allen has served his time in prison and is being released. While Ciaran Hinds does an admirable job in the role, he doesn't have the meat to sink his teeth into. His wife, now played by Allison Janney, is serviceable, but nothing more. And so it goes throughout the cast and film. Everyone does a fine job, but the magic isn't there. Every characters seems a ghost of their previous selves (and without wanting to spoil anything, this analogy is more appropriate for some than others). It's still a film worth watching, but it suffers by comparison to Solondz' earlier works.
Perhaps I've been too rough on "Life During Wartime." It couldn't live up to "Happiness." Very few can. If you want to see a weirdly dark film, it's worth a look, but if you haven't seen "Happiness" or "Welcome to the Dollhouse," another excellent Solondz production, check them out first.
| Movie title | Life During Wartime |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2009 |
| MPAA Rating | NR |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Todd Solondz returns with a follow-up to the magnificent "Happiness", twelve years in the future. It doesn't measure up, but it has enough sickness and oomph for me. |
