TIFF 2009 Day 6: Todd Solondz’s Life During Wartime

I failed to re-watch the 1998 film prior to seeing this one, but just like a coat that got lost in a closest and hasn’t been worn in some time, this pic has the same form – its just not as perverted as the original.
Life During Wartime‘s first “re-introduction” sequences and this sense of familiarity that comes along with it can bring along a sense of glee and while the transfer from one actor the another is a great device, the appeal slowly dissipates until we are left with very little. Todd Solondz’ follow up to Happiness won the best screenplay award in Venice – for very specific reasons, the dialogue sharply sticks it to the batch of unlike-able characters and Allison Janney steals the show when comparing her character to the pantheon of scary mothers who mean well. I enjoyed the pic and this is his best since 98′, but I nonetheless found it to be lacking in personality not personalities. Full review coming soon.