Boring

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

"People look into the mirror everyday and f*kn lie to themselves that they are loving and caring. But we are all horrible people".If you like this quote above and can understand the humor of driving a YELLOW hummer and having a boyband ringtone on your phone, then dive straight into this funny Todd Solondz inferioritycomplex movie.I loved the fact that so many reviewers hated the lead character in this picture. Surprising? No. Todd Solondz definitely hasnt lost his ability to irritate people with simple observations of how people behave. I really didnt intend to see this flick, untill I started noticing how many reviewers really loathed the leading character in this movie. And I mean they really really loathed the guy. That arose my curiousity. Such hostility towards a character means something unique has been created by Todd Solondz, which a lot of movie goers did irritate beyond belief. As far as Todd Solondz' pictures are concerned, the more repulsion they evoke, the better...The story is about a guy who lives at his parents and basically just cant take care of himself. He is super inadequate with people, loathes himself but cant express that feeling. As a defense mechanism to deal with his own inferiority complex he starts lashing out at anyone around him who cant hit him back, like his sweet parents, magnificently played by Christopher Walken and Mia Farrow. Or like cussing at a Toys R Us service manager, who has to keep on smiling, however irritating the client might be. Toys R Us wasnt pleased to say the least and demanded the logo would be digitally erased in the movie.Dark Horse is a sarcastic, tongue in cheek funny movie about strong feelings of inferiority. Todd Solondz captured those feelings into 90 minutes of cussing at family and Toys R Us service managers.

Abe (Jordan Gelber) is an angry, self-loathing, petty slob loser. He dropped out of college and fell into a job in his father's company. Miranda (Selma Blair) is a depressed divorced woman forced to retreat back home. They meet at a wedding and Abe can't help but start the stalking. Miranda is broken and she just might go with Abe even if she doesn't love him.Todd Solondz does another movie on another socially awkward underclass. The biggest problem with this movie is the Abe character. He is too angry, too petty. He has no redeeming qualities. If he wasn't so pathetic, I would be rooting for somebody to put a bullet in him. Do I care about him? Not the slightest. Another problem is the surreal turns it takes for the last half. That kind of storyline never really works for me.

Sometimes I see a movie that I really enjoy, and then I have to stop and wonder what "normal" people would think about it? Here is one such film. Relentlessly observant, sardonically hilarious, and ultimately kind of tragic, this movie demonstrates that irony sometimes reveals the truth better than sincerity.The plot of "Dark Horse" involves a childish thirty-something toy- collector who lives with his family and works for his father's company. He finds love -- or something which is close enough for him -- in a quiet, depressed, over-medicated, sullen woman he meets at a friend's wedding. Full of unrealistic notions and childish bravado, he can't help but propose to her on their first date. Unexpectedly, she accepts -- not, as is later revealed, because she loves him -- but rather, because she kind of hates herself, and derives some kind of masochistic pleasure out of the idea of living with this man and having his children!Yes, this is extremely dark territory, but it's rich in ironic humor and the sting of truth. In fact, I'm not sure which is the richer moment -- her confession, or his unbelievably clueless reaction to it.In all, "Dark Horse" is a very good film that many people simply will not enjoy. If you've seen any of the other works of Todd Solondz ("Welcome to the Dollhouse," "Storytelling"), you will understand why.Solondz's films are ironically funny, quietly tragic examinations of people who don't quite understand themselves or the world around them. His characters often find themselves adrift in life, lost on the road to happiness, looking for whatever promise or hope they might find -- often to sadly comical effect. His films might make you laugh, make you squirm uncomfortably, give you the chills that come with seeing something truthful revealed, or all three at once. His films are ironic exaggerations of the world around us -- holding up an unflattering funhouse mirror to the faults and vanities that we all live with and try to hide or deny."Dark Horse" certainly isn't territory for those looking for a quick escapist flick, but for those looking for something richer, something darker, something ironic and funny but also truthful -- well, this film hits that spot quite well.

Greetings again from the darkness. Todd Solondz is the master of film uncomfortableness. If you have seen his "Happiness", you won't debate whether that's a real word or not. Mr. Solondz has a way of finding the worst in his characters and then taking it even darker and more negative. And yet, somehow, his latest (and maybe his simplest film to date) could be called a comedy.We are first introduced to Abe (Jordan Gelber) and Miranda (Selma Blair) as they share a table at a wedding, yet somehow aren't remotely together. He is oblivious to her near silent attempts to nicely avoid providing her phone number to him. The film moves quickly to provide proof that Abe is the epitome of arrested development. A mid-thirties something who not only "works" for his dad, but still lives with his parents (Mia Farrow, Christopher Walken)in a bedroom decorated with action figures. It's difficult to look at someone who takes up as much space as Abe and categorize them as a kid, so I believe the better term is "not an adult". He stalks Miranda and doesn't seem to mind/notice that she is a heavily medicated depressed individual who looks at him like he's a circus act.Abe's work environment is no better than his personal life. He brings nothing of value to his dad's company, yet somehow thinks he is always being mistreated. This carries over to his feelings toward his brother Richard (Justin Bartha), who is a doctor. Abe, who dropped out of college, believes the only difference is that Richard was the favorite son and received special privileges. It's very easy to label Abe a "loser", but somehow Solondz manages to maintain our interest with small sparks of hope.The hope quickly fades and Abe's life heads on a fast downward spiral. There are some bizarre fantasy/dream sequences that involve the quiet, much older co-worker Marie (Donna Murphy), and a conversation in the car with his mother and brother that plays like something directly out of a Woody Allen movie (made even creepier with the presence of Mia Farrow).There are some funny moments, but as Mr. Solondz would prefer, the laughs are tainted with guilt. We can't help but wonder why we laugh at a guy for whom we have such little respect ... actually bordering on disgust. I must admit to being pretty tired of Abe by the end of the movie, and couldn't help wondering if it might have been more effective as a short film. Still, the acting was superb, and unfortunately Abe isn't that much of a stretch from someone you probably know in real life. (www.moviereviewsfromthedark.wordpress.com)