Storytelling -- R
Starring: Selma Blair, Paul Giamatti, John Goodman
Directed by: Todd Solondz
Acclaimed writer/director Todd Solondz's latest film, "Storytelling," met mixed reviews upon its release this past winter, and justifiably so. While Solondz retains the glibness and sick, sardonic wit of his previous films, "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and "Happiness," "Storytelling" ultimately lacks bite, and in some ways, serves as a cowardly apology for his earlier works.
"Storytelling" is split into two separate stories, "Fiction" and "Non-Fiction." "Fiction" centers on a preppie, pseudo-culturally sensitive creative writing student named Vi (Selma Blair), her cerebral palsy-afflicted boyfriend, Marcus (Leo Fitzpatrick of "Kids" and "Bully") and her misogynistic "Mandingo"-like lit professor, Mr. Scott (Robert Wisdom). "Non-Fiction" revolves around a disenfranchised suburban high school student named Scooby (newcomer Mark Webber) and a shoe salesman/would-be documentary filmmaker, Toby (Paul Giamatti), who's capturing his life for an impending project.
Solondz should be applauded for tackling subjects that many other filmmakers wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Physical disabilities, racial relations, rape, the Holocaust and homosexuality are all addressed within the film, but at its 87 minute runtime, none are delved into deeply enough to really inspire thought. And serve no purpose aside from shock value.
Luckily, through the DVD platform, viewers will finally be able to see the film as Solondz had envisioned it, free of the red bars obstructing Blair and Wisdom's taboo sex scene as mandated by the MPAA. And while Solondz uses these red bars as a tool to mock the MPAA's absurd ratings guidelines to solid effect, it's good to see a filmmaker's work, misguided or not, as he or she had originally planned. Aside from the uncut/unrated version of the film and a theatrical trailer the disc boasts no extras.
There's much to like in "Storytelling." The performances are almost solid across the board with Webber, Wisdom and John Goodman as Scooby's dictorial father figuring most prominently. Also, the original score by Belle and Sebastian and the sitcom-esque cinematography of Frederick Elmes (who frequently collaborates with other gifted filmmakers such as Jim Jarmusch, Ang Lee and David Lynch) help to elevate the irony of the piece. It's just hard to whole-heartedly like a film that skewers other more accomplished works dealing with somewhat similar subject matter i.e. "American Beauty" in blatant parody. Ultimately, "Storytelling" is a pretentious, yet important film worthy of a rental.
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