Dark Horse (NR) 84 minutes C+
Life doesn't come with a receipt
Starring Selma Blair, Mia Farrow, Jordan Gelber, Zachary Booth, Justin Bartha, Christopher Walken and Aasif Mandvi
It was Friday afternoon. I rushed home to let the dog out, and rushed to the theatre to catch the last matinee showing of Dark Horse. In my haste, I forgot that it was a Todd Solondz film. Forty minutes into it I wasn't sure if I was going to like the film. Abe (Gelber), the main character, was annoying, as was the music. I couldn't figure out if Abe was supposed to be mentally challenged, or just an underachieving 35-year old slacker who collected action figures and lived at home with his parents. His arrested development was further compounded by his lack of social skills and piss-poor attitude. Yet, in a strange twist of fate Abe found an attractive (but horribly depressed) woman to marry him. She had her own set of issues, and a deadly secret.
Married or not, Abe has no intentions of moving out of his parent's house. His life began to unravel. Through numerous dream sequences he began to understand the harsh realities of life. Once the film ended and the credits rolled I remembered, "Oh yeah, this is a Todd Solondz film." His work is always a little unpleasant, unorthodox and darkly humanistic. There's a certain intriguing dullness to Dark Horse; however, the message is powerful and lasting. It 's a decent film that requires a little patience.
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