Storytelling
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.76 You Save: $20.22 (81%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.22 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Storytelling
Movie Review: Creative Portrait Of Story Writers
Summary: 4 Stars
Storytelling was directed by Todd S. who also did Welcome to the Dollhouse and Happiness. His movies tend to be black comedies where he mocks those that are dysfunctional or seen as different from the norm. This movie was a look at him and the way he writes stories. He has been put down in the past for making fun of vulnerable people and this was sort of a movie mocking himself. The first story is fiction, where it shows how writers and wanna be writers use sex as a way to get noticed or vice versa writing as a way to get sex. Their is a definate focus on difference in the story, blacks, punk rock subculture, cerebral palsey and sex addition, are they really so diffrent than the majority?? The second story is non-fiction, which I think, shows us some of what the director wants you to see about himself. The story starts out with a starving artist who wants to write a documentary on how high school students get into college. At first, the subject matter is the concern but things start to change as he begins to feel a certain sense of sucess. His need to get an audience outweighs the seriousness that was once the tone of his story. He wants it to be a comedy whereby he will mock his main character. This will all be done without telling his documentary subjects what he is doing. In essence, where is the compassion? We see this all through the stories, all the people are living out some role and either perpatrate or become a victim. Connections, becoming famous, sucess and wealth are they really so great? Have we lost touch with what really matters, even those who are being victimized, have they lost touch as well? A hard movie to take in some ways, a hard core scene in the first story. Those of you who might get shocked over heavy sex scenes and swearing may not want to see this movie. Todd S. puts things right out there in your face and doesn't hide from it or avoid it.Movie Review: "Mandingo" and "Reality TV"
Summary: 4 Stars
Although this third film by Todd Solondz is not as good as "Welcome To The Dollhouse" or "Happiness", it still smacks of satirical cynicism. Inexplicably split into two films ('Fiction', 'Non-fiction'), we are first presented with a twenty minute film about community college level 'writing', in which, a young woman has a confrontational and sexual sparring with the black, 'mandingo' teacher. It's all meant to be a comment on hypocritical racists in education. It culminates in an outrageous sex encounter that is literally 'blocked' by a large red rectangle (taboo emphasis). It's moderately entertaining.The second part of the film is more complex. Without exposing too much of the plot, it involves (as "Happiness" did) classism, racism, sexism, oh hell, any 'ism' you could imagine. But it works. It is simply a story of an upper middle class American family with the 2.5 kids and the proper suburban parents with a perfect son, the 'imperfect' son and the 'baby'. Kudos to John Goodman and Julie Haggerdy for participating in this movie. They bring life and legitimacy to their roles. Solondz filmed this well before "reality TV" was popular, and that is the premise. While the imperfect son is being secretly filmed for a documentary, the family struggles through it's own unusually tragic existence (the youngest of the three sons is the 'Brady Bunch brat' we always thought we wanted to see as evil). Needless to say, Solondz produces many shocks and surprises along the way. The trip is wildly entertaining, but the finale may leave the viewer distraught. Not that the story is poorly conceived or arranged, but simply that the ending is horribly, terribly depressing. It still good enough to recommend. I consider that a rare accomplishment for any film-maker.
Movie Review: This Aint Reality, Idiots.
Summary: 4 Stars
This film wasnt made to show all of you how a "real" university fiction writing class is, or how "real" a Jewish suburban family is. This film is less real than Sponge Bob Squarepants. It travels the same lines as Apocalypse Now, in that it encapsulates the graphic possiblities, and tragic surrealities of life and turns the amps up to ten. The situations in this film are extreme to further illustrate his undelying themes of non-hero's and how tragic hope can be. The characters fluctuate between being stupid, honest, demonic, blatent, obvious, and dangerous. He also creates points of focus in the film that are meant to lead our thoughts through his maze. We identify with the Cerebral Palsy kid, then Selma Blair, but then we see how their bad choices land them in scenarios that are grotesque. We suddenly stop identifying with them. Most of the characters are complex, except for obvious villians, like John Goodman, and the cold, callous, indiferent masochist 'teacher'. The boy in 'non fiction' is a good example of the multifaceted nature of Solondz's characters. We hate him, but why? He was raised in an indifferent family that doesnt prize humanity or kindness. He has his 'maid' fired because she wouldnt clean his juice up. He has no sense of humanity or compassion. Why wouldnt he? His family, whom he loves, has not shown compassion, or taught him about work or poverty. He is clueless. Watch this film closely. It is not a pop culture romp. And if you are looking for Napoleon Dynamite, dont look here.Movie Review: "'American Beauty' With Real Teeth"
Summary: 4 Stars
By common consent, the old WASP intelligentsia is said to have lost its tone-setting influence on national life in the era of Vietnam and Watergate. But what happened to that other encourager of high standards in national and private life, the New York Jewish intellectuals? Todd Solondz provides something of an answer in the brilliant second part of "Storytelling." It was the move to the suburbs of New Jersey and the attendant values of life there that did them in. People perhaps formerly interested in ideas became centered instead on comfort, real estate, temple fund raising, etc. Their children, allowed to grow naturally like plants, turned into jocks, dopers, or, worst of all, non-compassionate conservatives, focused on mere class rank and college acceptance rather than real learning. Solondz' suburbs seem embarrassingly on target as the object of contemporary satire. His vision of life there is a needed corrective to the sentimentalities of that overpraised mediocrity, "American Beauty."Movie Review: ...storytelling
Summary: 4 Stars
Well. Not a film that I would recommend to anyone except serious film buffs who can stomach some pretty rough material. I barely made it through one scene...however, it's tamer than Solondz's previous films.
One can sense that Solondz is merely attacking his critics, and is using satire to do so. He pulls no punches, and as usual, remains as cynical as ever. The performances are great all around. The film is split into two parts, "Fiction" and "Non-fiction", which seem unrelated at first. It's not until after the film ends, that you can pick up on the subtle connections between the two. Once again, not a film that I would recommend to just anyone, but if you are familiar with Solondz at all, it's worth a shot...however, there are two scenes here that are rough and a bit gratuitous in nature. One could have been edited out all together, as it seemed to exist only for shock value and worked against the context of the film itself. That is my only criticism.