Comment of the Week: The Solondz method

It’s tough to come right out and embrace the work of director Todd Solondz.

The man behind “Welcome to the Dollhouse” and “Happiness” delights in turning dark thoughts into very dark cinema.

But JimmyC captured why Solondz mattered this week in a post attached to my review of the director’s latest film, “Life During Wartime:”

Solondz is a fascinating filmmaker. His movies are hard to watch, but undeniably powerful and haunting. “Dollhouse” captured the hellish middle school experience better than any movie I’ve seen, and “Happiness” was a powerful look at how people choose empty self-indulgence over living morally healthy lives.

Glad to hear he’s lightening his tone a bit, though, and Paul Rubens is way overdue for a comeback.

(Photo: Allison Janney plays a divorced mom ruminating over a new lover in “Life During Wartime.” IFC Films)

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