It would be fair to describe the films of Todd Solondz as shining a light on the inherent humor of emotional scaring. In 'Life During Wartime', Solondz focuses on the scar more closely than his other films, allowing the humor to be visible only on the periphery.
'Happiness' would be generally accepted as Todd Solondz's most critically acclaimed film yet attempting a sequel would be a daunting task; a huge risk. Solondz achieved great success with 'Life During Wartime' by taking a radically different approach to the same characters and psychological backdrop.
The most obvious change would be the complete re-casting of the characters from 'Happiness'. This would be in complete contravention of the conventional "Hollywood" approach to sequels and such a notion would have likely been dismissed entirely by a major studio; the sorts of people who would like to see Harrison Ford encased in carbonite for all of eternity so he can be stuck in front of a camera on demand. Yet, with 'Life During Wartime' re-casting every character from 'Happiness' proved to be the best approach. The people in the film all have deep emotional scaring that has healed the best it could over time and they've changed psychologically speaking so seeing a different actor portray the same character adds a strong emphasis to their inner lives. This disassociation from 'Happiness' makes confronting the subject matter much easier for the viewer.
Visually, this film was much more plain than the already visually uneventful films of Todd Solondz. The characters are all trying to find stability and their tumultuous emotional lives are sharply contrasted by the stillness of the camera and the scenery. The use of color contrast and available light all the more heightens a naturalistic sense of one grasping for a pleasant reality that can always be seen but maintains it's elusiveness.
This film lacks the absurdist humor that was prevalent in 'Happiness' which makes the film less accessible; it is a sequel in story alone. The presentation focuses your attention on the uncomfortable truths of what has happened and is happening. Even the dream sequences with the ghosts of heart-broken suicide victims maintains a strict realism. This would lead most people to view the film as a drama but, like with all Solondz films, the director intends on making you laugh at the most uncomfortable things in life. Where in 'Happiness' the humor is paraded in front of you, this film tucks the humor in the blurred edges of your consciousness only to be seen by those with the eye for it.
'Happiness' would be generally accepted as Todd Solondz's most critically acclaimed film yet attempting a sequel would be a daunting task; a huge risk. Solondz achieved great success with 'Life During Wartime' by taking a radically different approach to the same characters and psychological backdrop.
The most obvious change would be the complete re-casting of the characters from 'Happiness'. This would be in complete contravention of the conventional "Hollywood" approach to sequels and such a notion would have likely been dismissed entirely by a major studio; the sorts of people who would like to see Harrison Ford encased in carbonite for all of eternity so he can be stuck in front of a camera on demand. Yet, with 'Life During Wartime' re-casting every character from 'Happiness' proved to be the best approach. The people in the film all have deep emotional scaring that has healed the best it could over time and they've changed psychologically speaking so seeing a different actor portray the same character adds a strong emphasis to their inner lives. This disassociation from 'Happiness' makes confronting the subject matter much easier for the viewer.
Visually, this film was much more plain than the already visually uneventful films of Todd Solondz. The characters are all trying to find stability and their tumultuous emotional lives are sharply contrasted by the stillness of the camera and the scenery. The use of color contrast and available light all the more heightens a naturalistic sense of one grasping for a pleasant reality that can always be seen but maintains it's elusiveness.
This film lacks the absurdist humor that was prevalent in 'Happiness' which makes the film less accessible; it is a sequel in story alone. The presentation focuses your attention on the uncomfortable truths of what has happened and is happening. Even the dream sequences with the ghosts of heart-broken suicide victims maintains a strict realism. This would lead most people to view the film as a drama but, like with all Solondz films, the director intends on making you laugh at the most uncomfortable things in life. Where in 'Happiness' the humor is paraded in front of you, this film tucks the humor in the blurred edges of your consciousness only to be seen by those with the eye for it.