Customer Reviews

Palindromes

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I ask nothing more of a film than to be able to connect with it, which I did with this film. The other film I have seen from this director is Happiness - I must say I like his style, the way he presents extremely dark subject matter with a sugary-sweet aesthetic.Another pleasing element to this film is the way the characters seem to fall into their predicaments and are unable to resolve their problems, too often we see characters in films tying up all the loose ends in their lives, the director acknowledges the randomness of life in this film.

There's a lot going on in Palindromes, a morality complex film, that like a palindrome looks at the two sides of the incendiary and complex abortion debate. It's a dark movie, not because of what happens in it - child molestation, a botched abortion, teenage pregnancy and murder - but because director Todd Solondz seems to be intent on implicating everyone.

The film is also notable for the fact that eight different actors play Aviva in separate chapters: the plump black girl at the beginning of the movie is replaced by a chubby brunet, then by a slim redhead, another brunet, a young boy, an obese African American woman and, finally, by Jennifer Jason Leigh

The movie begins with Aviva, (Victor Emani Sledge), saying that all she wants is to have as many babies as possible so she'll always have someone to love. This Aviva is a chubby black girl whose tongue flops out of her mouth when she speaks. Her neurotic but liberally minded mother Joyce (Ellen Barkin) comforts her but doesn't really take her that seriously until she gets to her teenage years and sets out to make pregnancy happen.

Aviva's first opportunity presents itself in the form of Judah (Robert Agri), who later changes his name to Otto (John Gemberling), the porn-obsessed son of her parents' friends. Judah obliges her request, and things get worse from there. When her mom discovers that she is pregnant, she's taken straight to the abortion clinic. But Aviva Escapes the clutches of her parents and hitches a ride out of town with pedophilic trucker Joe (Stephen Adly Guirgis), eventually spending the night with him in a roadside motel.

Aviva eventually ends up in the care of Mama Sunshine (Debra Monk), a Christian woman whose husband Bo (Walter Bobbie) and family physician, Dr. Dan (Richard Riehle) plan assassinations of abortionists in their basement. But Aviva is happy in the care of Mama Sunshine, who as also has taken in a group of handicapped, unwanted children, and turned them into a Christian singing group.

Just like Aviva's name, the Victors and Sunshines are forward and backward versions of the same thing - they are Palindromes. What is so effective about this movie is that Solondz doesn't pass judgment on any of his characters, even though you get the sense that he's constantly supporting the underdog.

As depressing as it is hard to watch, Palindromes is also consistently, horrifyingly funny and sharp-witted, and the darker, mordent and more well-observed its humor, the more it seems to contradict the director's unsentimental, even grudging empathy for his fellow humans.

The movie is rife with symbolism and circular meaning: Joyce tells Aviva that she may have a deformed child who is blind and without arms, but later in the film Mama Sunshine's children are all either physically or mentally disabled. There's also Joyce's line about "getting rid of Henry," her aborted second child, that makes her momentarily sound like the hit man who will kill her abortionist. Peter Paul (the amazing Alexander Brickel) offers Mama Sunshine's "Jesus' tears," cookies that are shaped like sperm. The Sunshine kids also parallel the unborn fetuses their Mama retrieves from a local dump and buries.

As usual, Solondz proves that he's one of America's most distinctive directors, and he uses this unique device to carry forth a story that touches on many emotional subjects. Some chapters work better than others with the "Mama Sunshine" Aviva, played by the obviously adult, black, and quite large Sharon Wilkins, coming across as the most complex and interesting of the film's many parts.

If Aviva is fundamentally incorruptible, it's not because she's innocent but because, like her name, she's essentially the same any way you look at her. Wherever she goes, however she looks, there she is, doomed or destined to trace the same patterns. At the end of the film, just as at the beginning, she still wants to have lots and lots of babies, having learnt absolutely nothing from her experiences. Mike Leonard September 05.

I have to disagree with some of the reviews. First of all, this isn't Solondz best work, but the effort, the storyline, the theme-- AMAZING.

I'm not one whose very "thorough" (you can read other reviews for that.) but if you are craving a movie that makes you think about life, love and/or even about change, SEE THIS MOVIE. Yes, at times there is a bit of comedy (some jokes fall pretty flat), but if you look a little deeper, you can definitely see what Solondz was trying to accomplish.

The ending, on the otherhand, was pretty much disturbing.

It definitely made me think.

I agree with a lot of the other reviews in that this is not Todd Solondz funniest movie (Storytelling is for me thus far), but I don't see any reviews appreciating how ingenious, original, and thought provoking the movie is. I love Solondz's films because at the end I'm always troubled, thinking, and reevaluating my perceptions of the world. Solondz is a genius at turning themes and ideas in on themselves again and again. Pro-Lifers are overzelous; however, they step up to the plate when it comes to helping children no one else would. The Pro-Choice parents want the best for their daughter's future, but overlook her desires and hinder her future by forcing her into a decision. As mentioned in another review, one of the main points in Palindromes is that we end where we begin. The monologue about this point is ingenious and very convincing in the film. Solondz pokes fun at himself by having this monologue delivered by a character from one of his first films, and the discussion of "Dawn" from Welcome to the Dollhouse. Solondz acknowledges that even he is a self contained human being who has not changed from Welcome to the Dollhouse to Palindromes. If you are the type of person who has to be entertained by dancing bears throughout the movie, then this is not the film for you. If you are the type of person who likes to be troubled and challenged, then this is definitely the film for you.

This movie was difficult to watch. It employs several actresses for the main character, not all of whom are at the same skill level, and the narrative jogs along at an uneven rate. In addition, the subject matter is very dark, even when presented in a seemingly lighthearted fashion. However, this film is a wonderful discussion starter. The issues of the reproductive rights movement are covered in a thoughtful way. This movie is a good way to get a group of people talking about the value conflicts within the pro-choice community. I wouldn't watch this film solely for entertainment, even in an "artsy" mood, but it's an interesting one to screen to start a discussion.

The other reviewers have written generously on this movie, so I will just add a few of my own thoughts:

Aviva is a girl bound to failure and misery at every turn. Her first time (or, so we think) is with a semi-misanthropic young man who clumsily inseminates her. The resulting pregnancy drives her unhappy mother to drag her to get an abortion, which ends with the doctor revealing that a hysterectomy had to be performed. To add to the tragedy, the cowardly parents lie to her, and say she is just fine. With her deep desire for children, Aviva continues trying to get pregnant, not knowing that it's all in vain. The kicker is that the sex act itself isn't even worth it, since she winds up with losers like the Joe/Earl/Bob character, a dumpy man who couldn't get a date with a real woman to save his life.

Not all of the Avivas get an equal turn at bat. The Aviva who gets an abortion enjoys plenty of camera time, while the Huckleberry Aviva gets just a brief scene with no lines.

Some reviewers say that the Mama Sunshine sequence tips the abortion argument in favor of the pro-life movement. If we just met and heard Mama Sunshine, maybe this would be a valid point. The ugly part comes when the loser Earl, Mama Sunshine's husband Beau, and Dr. Dan are in the basement. Dr. Dan, who examined Aviva without her consent when she was out cold, reveals her to be a "child whore." Beau declares that he has never had a "slut" in his house before. Little do they know that Aviva is hiding out in the basement, listening to their every word. Suddenly, her momentary sense of respite and belonging is shattered, because of a couple of comments by some bigoted, patriarchal extremists. Even as she gets ready to run away, she says goodbye to a boy who whispers "harlot" in his sleep.

The point that I'm trying to make is that as much of a selfish you-know-what that Aviva's mother is, the Sunshine clan is more sinister, hiding their ugly prejudices behind a veneer of happiness and acceptance.

The rest of the movie finds Aviva constantly being used, let down, lectured to, and deceived. She runs into Judah again, the boy who impregnated her, and now calls himself Otto. After a drive in the woods, he has sex with her, and ruins the act by cursing his premature ejaculation. Aviva morphs into different versions of herself during the sex act, and afterwards becomes the little black girl from the beginning, who breaks your heart by uttering a positive, self-affirmating statement.

Solondz has not reached the heights of success he enjoyed with Happiness, Welcome to the Dollhouse, and Story Telling. However, there is a lot to recommend in Palindromes. The story is simple enough. A teenage girl, desperate for love and repelled by her selfish parents, runs away and meets all variety of mentally sick people on the way. As in most Solendz films, characters assert a facade of overdone piety and sanctimony that quickly dissolves and reveals a virulent selfishness, helplessness, and rage. Solendz has a theme, which is voiced by one of the characters, Mark Weiner, the older brother of Dawn Weiner, both of whom were featured in Welcome to the Dollhouse. Mark says we are all helpless, overtaken by our biology, completely absent of free will, completely powerless to change our lives. This helplessness is strongly articulated in the film but it is also the film's weakness: Watching helpless characters flailing in agony with no hope of change eliminates any kind of tension or narrative power, of which this film has little or none. The characters are shrill, self-pitying, effete, whining waifs who indulge in lugubrious melodrama. At times, their indulgences, their delusions, and their tantrums are so over the top that the film achieves a certain type of slapstick comedy. But the level of mental derangement coupled with helpless characters could be off-putting for many viewers.

Final comment: There is a section, my favorite part, where a dozen handicapped children are under the care of a Mrs. Sunshine, a religious fanatic matriarch. Their talk of being in a loving, happy family is scripted. They come across as happy-talk androids. Mrs. Sunshine is a desperate, lonely women. It appears this section of the film had to be inspired by the award-winning documentary My Flesh and Blood, about a lonely single mother who adopts handicapped children.

Strange film indeed. If you're a Solendz fan, then for sure you'll enjoy much in Palindromes. Just don't expect it to be as good as his best.

Recommended to me by my dark, mysterious, and intellectual friend Chris Blackshere, I still found myself shivering of the affects of this film. I found the characters to be deeply emotional, at times disturbing yet oddly enough neither attractive nor repulsive. If you were offended by "The Woodsman"...then seeing this film would not be advised. "The Woodsman" largely hinted at things...and seldom "went there." This film not only "goes there," but on a certain level normalizes it. I sincerely doubt any abuse survivor with unresolved issues could see this film without becoming upset. Likewise, I doubt that any person with a physical challenge/disability could see this film without being irritated...both of these things are sad, in my eyes, because what Solondz does really well is not judge the process...he presents his characters in an every day way because they are part of everyday life.

All of these characters are deeply human...wounded souls...some do wonderful things for selfish reasons, some do horrible things for noble reasons...others seem to merely survive. There are a number of standout performances, and there are other performances where you look at the screen and are trying to figure out "Is that on purpose?" For example, the opening "Aviva" is a young African-American actress of probably 9 or 10...quite honestly, she's a rather horrid actress who appears to be reading lines off the cue card...while she looks adorable...well, her delivery was simply awkward...and yet, as time went on, I found this characterization balancing wonderfully with the others...perhaps the most powerful portrayal is offered by the "Mama Sunshine" Aviva...portrayed by Sharon Wilkins, a large African-American female...older, and clearly not a child...clearly not innocent...yet the whole scene is played off as though she is AND Wilkins is mesmerizing. Likewise, the wondrous Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Aviva after she has returned home and adds a weathered, yet tender touch to the character that is just hypnotic. Additionally, her insistence to invite a family member who is alleged to be a pedophile leads to one of the most quietly powerful conversations I've seen on film this year ending with these classic lines:

Mark Wiener: By the way, I'm not a pedophile.

Aviva: I know. Pedophiles LOVE children.

Simply powerful.

"Palindromes" is a challenging film...it is, at times, a tad boring and has definite pockets where the acting is not up to par. Yet, in reality, I can't help but feel this was an intentional move by Solondz. It's as if he wants us to realize...that we can change our looks, our voices, our boobs, our bodies, our talents, our gifts, our color...but who we are doesn't change. Selfish people will always be selfish...happy people will always find a way to be happy. Challenging, thought provoking and deeply human...Todd Solondz, backward and forward, is simply an outstanding, courageous storyteller and a unique, insightful and gifted director.

Director Todd Stolonz has always made controversial films ("Storytelling", "Welcome To The Dollhouse", Happiness"). This time the controversy is simply about a girl that wants to have a baby ever since she could talk. Stolonz always has a trick up his sleeve and this time, Aviva, a young girl is portrayed by several different actresses at different ages. They are small, big, white, black, freckle-faced, skinny, fat, you name it. It's confusing at first until you realize that `perhaps' Stolonz is using them as a universal theme. No matter. The acting is amazing, in that some characters are banally subtle and others are manically intense. From a middle class home with normal parents to an extended family of adopted children with disabilities, "Palidromes" never allows you to lose interest. Aviva is on her own road trip and encounters all kinds of people with many different opinions. It's not as good as "Happiness" or "Storytelling" but it's worth viewing.

Todd Solondz (Happiness, Storytelling) is one of the most unique filmmakers of the last few decades and for my money, one of the most creative as well. He places American suburbia in the ugliest frame possible but manages to find some very dark humor within all the twisted sadness he portrays. He takes people we normally don't want to know and examines them intimately enough that we must chose wether we like them or hate them more than we could ever imagine. His latest film was 2004's Palindromes, and it is no exception to his style. Solondz does more of the same but it almost seems that with Palindromes he wanted to explore his themes and style with even more depth. Some viewers may think this means Palindromes is likely to be more disturbing, but really it is his style and his unrestrained creative madness that is more on display than the kind of content within his films that often justify his troubling reputation. Although, like Happiness, Solondz explores child molestation and sexual deviance further than anyone, and many will not want to join him on this ride.

Aviva (played by 8 different actors, including Jennifer Jason Leigh) is a thirteen year old girl that is profoundly sad and who has only one motivation in her life. She wishes to have a child so she may be loved by someone for the rest of her life. She decides that in order to have a child she will have sex with an unsavory family friend named Judah. Aviva's mother (Ellen Barkin) is devastated to find that Aviva is pregnant and orders her to get an abortion. The doctor informs Aviva's parents that she is no longer capable of having children after the procedure, but her parents never actually inform Aviva of this complication. She soon runs away from home to continue her quest to have a child. She has sex with a pedofile truck driver who then abandons her. Aviva's travels then bring her to a Christian fundamentalist group who cares for misfits kids without a home. The head of this group is also involved in organizing the assassinations of doctors at abortion clinics, and one of his associates is the same pedofile truck driver who Aviva had relations with earlier in the film. She is of course drawn to him again. The truck driver, whose name is eventually revealed to be Bob, despite his constant need to use aliases and try to change what he is and what he is perceived as, is assigned to kill the doctor who completed Aviva's procedure. Aviva goes with him and Bob accidently murders the doctor's young daughter in addition to killing the doctor. He feels terrible for this and expresses how stupid it was for him to think that actions like that could change what he is. By the film's end Aviva reunites with Judah, who now calls him self Otto. She has sex with him again, completely oblivious to the fact that she cannot have a child.

There are a few different reasons I think Solondz decided to use seven actresses and one young actor to portray Aviva. For one, the obvious stand against convention is a Solondz trademark. The diversity of the group that plays Aviva is also wide and perhaps more provoking for that alone. So each actor was probably cast without regard for visuals and more for their performance in their particular scenes. The primary reason I think Solondz did this though was to show that no matter what you look like on the outside you can't change what you are. Aviva will always be Aviva no matter what she looks like on the surface. Even if you spell her name backwards she will always be Aviva and Aviva will always want a child to call her mom.