Abe is a thirty-something year old who lives at home with his parents. To make a living, he works at his dad's real estate company where he hardly ever contributes. At a wedding he meets Miranda, a woman who is also in arrested development, and though they are extremely different, Abe pursues her affection incessantly. Todd Solondz' Dark Horse is a film about a not so likeable character in Abe. He is extremely confident on the outside, yet he is absolutely terrified of leaving the safety of his shell. Solondz films are always very unique and Dark Horse is no different. The film is very funny, entertaining and ultimately rather devastating which are the typical trademarks of one of his films. Abe is a fascinating character to watch on screen who is both extremely reassured yet awkward. I loved the little subtle character quirks like how he drives a huge bright yellow hummer, for example, as a way of compensating for his insecurities. As the film moves along it becomes more and more surreal really getting into the head space of this shy sad man, as we, the viewer, begin to realize just how mentally devastated Abe is. There are frequent moments where we are put directly into his mind, seeing his thoughts and how he always seems to blame everyone but himself. That is what is so interesting about Abe as a character, his unwillingness to simply admit he is wrong. The film hits an emotionally poignancy towards the end that was fantastic and while it is probably my least favorite of his films, it still has a lot going for it. 8.25/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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