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Shirley Henderson, Michael Kenneth Williams, Roslyn Ruff, Allison Janney, Michael Lerner ... see more see more... , Dylan Riley Snyder , Ciarán Hinds , Renée Taylor , Rebecca Chiles , Paul Reubens , Emma Hinz , Charlotte Rampling , Gabriel Quiliquini , Ally Sheedy , Rich Pecci , Gaby Hoffmann , Carmen Marie Colon Mejia , Fernando Samalot , Meng Ai , Chris Marquette

Directed by Todd Solondz, this ensemble film tells the tale of a large dysfunctional family. Joy (Shirley Henderson) continues to have problems with her husband, Allen (Michael Kenneth Williams), and ... read more read more...looks to her family for advice. A dead former boyfriend (Paul Reubens) continues to try to win her heart from the great beyond. Joy's sister, Trish (Allison Janney), meets a retiree whom she hopes will normalize her chaotic life. A third sister, screenwriter Helen (Ally Sheedy), is full of bitterness toward both her family and her career. Their mother, Mona (Renée Taylor), wants absolutely nothing to do with men. And, ex-con Bill (Ciarán Hinds), Trish's former husband, wants to reconcile with their son. Life During Wartime is a pseudo-sequel to Solondz's Happiness with different actors playing the same characters from that earlier film. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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48% liked it

5,689 ratings

Critics

69% liked it

97 critics

R, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Todd Solondz

Release Date: July 23, 2010

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DVD Release Date: July 26, 2011

Stats: 371 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (371)

  • tsigur
    September 4, 2011
    tsigur
    Like most of (no, more like all of) Todd Solondz's work, this film is not for everyone. I am a huge fan of Happiness and Welcome to the Dollhouse and even found a soft spot for Palindromes. I think he is one of the most original writer/director's out there. I like the fact that h... read moree makes you uncomfortable and, by doing that, probably makes some of the most human films we have seen. This film is about forgiveness and while it has some missteps (I understand the fact that they are kids, but Dylan Riley Snyder as Timmy was nails on a chalk board bad in some scenes), I still felt something after watching it and that's more than I can say for a lot of things I watch these days.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    August 16, 2011
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    There are a bunch of great moments and performances in Todd Solondz's "LIFE DURING WARTIME," and some dialogue that ranks with his best, but the film never fully gels as a whole or a standalone. A "sequel" of sorts to the fantastic "Happiness," Solondz's latest feels like it was ... read moremade so the director himself could revisit and give (some) closure to these characters he obviously has a lot of love for, but he in turn never delivers a narrative that viewers can fully connect with (especially when compared to HAPPINESS; which is immanent). Still, I liked the film. It's completely (disappointingly) tame and it may be kind of forgettable, but the quirky charm and hints of greatness won me over. A mild recommendation..

    Despite what you may have heard, watch HAPPINESS first! You'll probably hate this film otherwise. Not knowing who the characters are going in will make portions extremely frustrating.
  • stevenecarrier
    July 29, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    There are many intriguing aspects to Todd Solondz's "Life During Wartime." First is that this is technically a sequel to his film "Happiness." I say 'technically' because the film features the same characters from that film, but oddly enough they are all played by completely diff... read moreerent actors. Some even have different races. This is actually a brilliant touch because what "Life During Wartime" is about is forgiveness and how people go about accepting it and rejecting it- in themselves and others. The past can distort memories and having the different cast solidifies this point. What you also get with this film is a series of conversations that have extremely piercing dialogue. The performances are all extremely emotional and, at times, disturbingly honest. Solondz is a gifted filmmaker that, along with Miranda July, delight in finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. "Life During Wartime" is not "Happiness," nor is Solondz trying for it to be. It's most certainly a continuation of those characters but for all intents and purposes it's essentially a stand alone film.
  • jennifxu
    April 30, 2011
    jennifxu
    I love, absolutely love that all these people were played by different actors than in Happiness, especially that Allen was played by a black guy. That doesn't stop Life During Wartime from being completely boring, though - despite certain funny moments, it kind of paces in place.... read more Seriously, how do you make child molestation boring?
  • 366weirdmovies
    September 29, 2010
    366weirdmovies
    The interlaced story involves a boy about to be bar mitzvahed, his on-the-lam pedophile dad, pill-popping mom, an aunt dealing with the advances of the ghost of a former lover and her compulsive obscene phone calling husband, and other sad nutcases. It's often described as a bla... read moreck comedy, and although there's plenty of dry and absurd humor and exaggerated characters and situations, it's really more of a searing philosophical drama about forgiveness. A sort-of sequel (with different actors) to Solondz's HAPPINESS.
  • gor41
    September 20, 2010
    gor41
    Mildly disappointing follow on to 'Happiness' which certainly merited following the dysfunctional characters. Sadly this lacks the bite and shock factor of the original but I'd still prefer to watch Solondz cruising than most on a good day.
  • romy861
    September 18, 2010
    romy861
    Disappointing is a word I have been throwing around a lot lately, but this time I really mean it. Disappointing in the fact that my expectations were extremely high on this one. It is by no means a bad movie, I just expected so much more from it. Todd Solondz is probably my fa... read morevourite director. I have absolutely loved his other films, they are all on my favourites list!
    Here he revisits some old characters with new actors playing them, (not in itself a problem, the wonderful "Palindromes" did nothing but switch around the actors for the whole film). There is still the same wit here and plenty of laughs, but the shock factor is way down on his other films. I am sure it will still shock the easily offended, but something was not quite as sharp in it. The story seemed slighter, some of the roles miscast, (Shirley Henderson in particular the kind of actress you would like to strangle). Maybe it was just time to retire these characters and invent some new ones.
  • dunmyer
    July 31, 2010
    dunmyer
    "Life During Wartime" is a mediocre black comedy from Todd Solondz. It's not as bad as his "Palindromes" (2004), but it isn't much better. Solondz clearly is adrift as an artist. He just doesn't seem to have anything more to say. Yet someone keeps giving him money to make films. ... read more

    As usual, Solondz here fixes his sights on suburbia, probably the easiest cultural target imaginable. It's true that Solondz is uniquely attuned to suburban neurosis; he's just running out of things to say about it. The hottest parts of the film overwhelmingly are two bravura cameos by Charlotte Rampling as a sex-starved walking death ray and Ally Sheedy as a grandiose, self-absorbed Emmy winner.
  • kiriyamakazou
    July 26, 2010
    kiriyamakazou
    Solondz gives us a sequel to his classic Happiness. Happiness was a film of great hilarity, unexpected warmth, and uncomfortable darkness. The first thing to note here is that everyone has been recast. It's been recast to such an extent that half the fun is for those familiar wit... read moreh Happiness to identify the characters. Some are easily recognizable and some are completely different. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is now a slim black guy. The characters are moving on from their lives in the original, but it still feels disconnected. This is probably why Solondz did major recasting, so we can appreciate this on its own. Unfortunately the acting isn't up there with Happiness. Everyone seems desperate to channel the awkward humor, resulting in a film that seems like parody at times. Baker added heart as well as tragedy to his twisted character, Hinds feels a bit more dark and menacing. There could have been so much dramatic intensity, with the children, now older, confronting their father. Instead it settles for quirky moments that mention politics and refer to pedophiles as terrorists. An interesting film for those wanting to see a progression in the characters, but you can expect to be confused and kind of wanting to just watch Happiness again.
  • fb1142797643
    November 12, 2011
    fb1142797643
    "Life During Wartime" is remarkably engrossing and watchable, considering its scenes are almost nothing but one-on-one dialogue. Typical of a Todd Solondz film, the characters are tormented, hypersensitive and usually on the verge of tears. But some dry humor is inserted amidst t... read morehe pain.

    This film is a sequel of sorts to 1998's "Happiness," but with an entirely different cast. The story's emotional centers are Joy (Shirley Henderson, spellbinding based on her unusual voice alone), her sister Trish (Alison Janney, dependably great) and Trish's fragile son Timmy (Dylan Riley Snyder, dependably grating). Ally Sheedy portrays a third sister (now a rich, frazzled screenwriter), but her part is mostly limited to one showcase scene.

    Joy is married to Allen, an obscene phone-caller who struggles to control his compulsion (he limits himself to "just a little on Sundays"). She's also visited by the miserable ghost of Andy, a past suitor who killed himself (I'll omit the actor's name, because it might be an exciting surprise). Trish has two other children, a young daughter (she looks about five) and a college-age son. Her estranged husband Bill is a convicted pedophile who's fresh out of prison but believed dead by his younger kids. Trish is also newly in mismatched love with Harvey (Michael Lerner), who has an adult, ill-adapted son. Both she and Timmy are neurotically wary about Harvey showing signs of sexual deviance. Charlotte Rampling adds a gutsy cameo as a self-loathing barfly who tempts Bill.

    These varied characters are woven together through a string of intense, confrontational scenes. The ending is somewhat open but it's not fair to demand a strong resolution, given how irreversibly damaged these people are.

    Undeniably, writer/director Solondz still aims to cross boundaries and make his audience uncomfortable. A rapturous Trish tells Timmy that Harvey makes her wet, and casually directs her tiny daughter where to find anti-depressants in the medicine cabinet. Bill asks his son if he has any rape fantasies. Two sex scenes are brutally animalistic. Even a lunch date has a trivial, awkward moment where Trish sends back her salad because the dressing wasn't served on the side. And of course, talk of suicide and molestation is always squeamish. However, Solondz seems more compassionate this time around, and not just intent to sadistically punish his characters to avenge his own wounds. This is crucial.

    "Life During Wartime" may capture ambivalent viewers more than expected. It's a lovely-looking film with its moist, golden tones and interesting faces, and it also includes a beautiful title song (not the Talking Heads classic -- this one is co-written by Solondz and Marc Shaiman). If you don't mind a little despair -- OK, a lot of despair -- you'll find "Life During Wartime" quite powerful. And be sure to pay close attention to the final seconds!

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Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones
January 3, 2011
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

I'd never have predicted something this mediocre. Full Review

Stephen Cole
August 27, 2010
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail

For all of Solondz's mischief, we sense he likes his unhelpable characters, and that they maybe like each other. A little bit, anyway. Full Review

Geoff Pevere
August 27, 2010
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

An easy film to dislike, a piece of cake to admire and all but impossible to love. But I think that's part of the intent. Full Review

Colin Covert
August 19, 2010
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Solondz treats his characters with all the compassion of a child frying ants with a magnifying glass. Full Review

Tom Long
August 13, 2010
Tom Long, Detroit News

The question is: Who wants to watch these people? Full Review

Carrie Rickey
August 12, 2010
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

Lachman and Solondz have a gift for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary and that ray of hope amid the hopelessness. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
August 6, 2010
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

[Solondz] seems mired in simply rehearsing his characters' most fatal flaws. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
August 6, 2010
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Todd Solondz keeps attempting the impossible and deserves credit for trying. Full Review

Ty Burr
August 5, 2010
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

At times, it makes you realize Solondz may be the closest heir we'll get to Robert Bresson, the French filmmaker of human despair and mysterious grace. Full Review

Roger Ebert
August 5, 2010
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

This is the Solondz world. I think he's a brilliant filmmaker. Full Review

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