Retro Film Review: Palindromes (2004)

The term "art film" is frequently misconstrued as synonymous with "controversial film," leading many talented filmmakers to believe that addressing contentious subjects alone suffices to uphold their status as great artists. Regrettably, director Todd Solondz is among those who have fallen into this trap, as evidenced by his 2004 drama, Palindromes.

The film's protagonist is Aviva Victor, a 12-year-old daughter of a middle-class couple who longs to expand her family by becoming pregnant herself. After visiting her teenage relative, she obtains a baby, much to the chagrin of her parents, Joyce (played by Ellen Barkin) and Steve (played by Richard Masur). They compel her to undergo an abortion, which results in her losing the ability to bear children, a fact of which she remains unaware. Determined to try again, Aviva engages in sexual intercourse with a paedophilic truck driver named Joe (played by Stephen Adly Guirgis) and later finds refuge in an abandoned children's shelter run by Sunshines, a Christian fundamentalist couple known for their militant anti-abortionist activities.

Solondz's script held the potential to become a thought-provoking and intelligent film, as it tackled issues such as abortion, adolescent pregnancy, and paedophilia. However, Solondz failed to capitalise on this potential, instead presenting a film marred by misanthropy and artistic pretensions. A prime example of the latter is the decision to cast 12 different actors in the role of Aviva, each varying in race, age group, and gender. This artistic choice hinders the audience's ability to empathise with the protagonist and results in an inconsistent acting quality that is often jarring. Furthermore, the other characters, much like Aviva, are either too eccentric or unappealing for the audience to invest emotionally. While there are some commendable performances, such as those by Ellen Barkin and Jennifer Jason Leigh, they cannot overcome the overall disappointing impression of Palindromes. Even those familiar with "bizarre" films may struggle to connect with this one, as it often appears bizarre for the sake of being bizarre.

RATING: 3/10 (+)

(Note: Original version of the review is available herehttp://draxreview.blogspot.com/2005/11/palindromes-2004.html.)

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