A sort of sequel to Happiness(with most of the characters returning, albeit all recast, aged and... well, not matured), this picks up years after, and we see how Trish deals with the events of it, and meet Joy again(and she's taken a turn for the... stranger, now haunted by Andy, and otherwise not offering that much to this... don't get me started on Helen, who in a single scene merely reiterates her schtick from the original). Some of the scenes feel like they don't really need to be there, and sans credits, this is only 89 minutes long. With that said, this is still a nice piece by Solondz, and a decent "fix" for anyone else who enjoy his work. The philosophy this time deals with forgiveness, what is natural, why do some people do bad things(is it genetic), and comments on excessive fear(xeno- and homophobia) as being irrational. Humorous material focuses on the idea of "normal", nothing in this is ever idyllic in spite of the appearance of such, perversity, terrorism, and life in suburbia is yet again seen as being terrible. It's again black comedy, with snarky, harsh lines. The dialog is sharp and the acting is good. This comes off as very "real", the camera lets it all hang out. Shots sometimes last a while, and tension and awkwardness(intentional) arises from this(this is content more than presentation). There is a lot of overt sexuality, a little disturbing content and strong language as well as brief nudity in this. I recommend this to fans of Todd and indies in general. 7/10
Review of Life During Wartime
