Storytelling

Genre: comedy drama
Director: Todd Solondz
Release: 2001
Studio: Killer Films, Good Machine – Fine Line Features
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.6/10


There’s Nothing Wrong With Self-indulgence… Once In A While


STORYTELLING recounts not one, but two tragicomic stories. In FICTION, a literature student named Vi (Selma Blair) finds herself in a quandary after her breakup with fellow student Marcus (Leo Fitzpatrick). With Robert Wisdom as Mr. Scott. In NON-FICTION, amateur filmmaker Toby Oxman (Paul Giamatti) chooses slacker Scooby Livingston (Mark Webber) as his main subject for a documentary on today’s teenagers and the school system. With John Goodman and Julie Hagerty (Marty and Fern, Scooby’s parents), Noah Fleiss and Jonathan Osser (Brady and Mikey, his brothers) and Lupe Ontiveros (Consuelo, the family maid).

For a would-be reviewer like myself, STORYTELLING presents a veritable challenge. On the one hand, I could easily give away its punchline if my comments are too explicit. On the other, I have no way of guessing what reactions it will elicit from individual viewers because it is both unpredictable in its flow and highly personal in its impact. Nevertheless, you do deserve some form of guidance so here it is, as circuitous as it seems. You should enjoy Todd Solondz’ strange trip of a movie if you’re in the mood for a dark and cynical ride; otherwise, you may be better off not seeing it.

FICTION, the first story, is a brief but jolting watch, much like an electroshock. Life will deal one cruel blow to young Vi – in an almost unbearable chain of events – and it’s a safe bet that you will squirm in your seat while witnessing her plight. NON-FICTION develops at a slower pace but in similar fashion, with a few nasty surprises for its characters and another one just for you, the hapless onlooker. Technically speaking, I found no faults in either story – both are competently told, played and crafted – and I certainly won’t deny Todd Solondz’ brilliance as a director. Unfortunately, his film feels more like a pet project than a full-fledged cinematic effort and, for this reason, I cannot rate it as highly as HAPPINESS and WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, two Solondz gems remarkable for their power and urgency. It still deserves a decent score for its chutzpah, mind you, but movie buffs should regard it as a fallback, not as a priority.

That being said, I won’t blame you for indulging – as our friend Solondz has so adroitly done – in this bleak double bill but you should be ready to face the music. STORYTELLING is one smart movie… but it also smarts!


MBiS

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