Storytelling

Directed by Todd Solandz

Starring Selma Blair, Paul Giamatti, Robert Wisdom, Mark Webber and John Goodman

Rating: R for strong sexual content, language and some drug use

Todd Solandz’ Storytelling plays a little game with you. First it pulls out every drop of irony it can muster in order to push you away as quickly as it can. Then it tries to pull you back in with a flood of melodrama, although with a noticeable absence of melody. The idea is to see where you stand by the end. Despite it all, do you still care about these people? Or are you far enough removed to just sit back and laugh? Maybe you’re caught somewhere in between. Solandz, who also scripted the film, is probably more concerned with the playing of the game than he is with its outcome. His methodology, however, runs the risk of making you an unwilling test subject.

The film is constructed out of two non-interacting stories that are connected through a common theme, the telling of stories. The first portion of the film is entitled ‘fiction’ and revolves around Vi (Selma Blair) and her experiences in a college writing seminar. Right off the bat Solandz starts pushing you away. We see Vi in the middle of sex looking somewhat bored. When it’s finished her partner awkwardly slides over and starts to talk. He has cerebral palsy. So he talks sort of funny. Already our expectations are being played with. They get to class the next morning and he reads a short story he’s written. Let’s just say it’s not very good. The trend continues. Every character we come across is intentionally ridiculous. The nerd’s are absurdly nerdy, the goody-goodies are far too good and the pompous teacher, played ably by Robert Wisdom, is more bombastic than your high school drama teacher wished he could have been. And then, after all this, it gets serious. Or at least it pretends to. The film offers up a real dilemma and asks you what you think about it.

The second portion of the film, ‘nonfiction’, takes a similar approach. This time we begin with a long static take of Toby (played by the always brilliant Paul Giamatti) talking on the phone. It starts silly and it just gets sillier. The segment, which is far longer than the first, ostensibly tells the tale of a documentary that Toby makes about high school student Scooby (Mark Webber) and his family. The characters here are even more absurd, the irony even thicker. An interesting comparison can be made to the work of Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tennenbaums). Both Solandz and Anderson employ bizarre, over the top characters, but the effects of their respective creations differ greatly. Anderson’s characters are noticeably unreal, but you’re still invited to relate to them. Max Fischer is a strange guy but you follow him and root for him just the same. Solandz wants to keep you on the outside. Scooby is interesting and his character shows a reasonable amount of depth, but you still can’t get close. He’s too odd. His world is too removed from your own. Solandz wants you uncomfortable and he wants you questioning. Anderson wants you in love by the end so you can sing along with the snappy tune he’s cleverly chosen for the soundtrack.

Directing-wise Solandz is good with the actors, dull with the camera. He employs very long takes and makes them work, something that’s not easy to do or often seen. Giamatti is amazing and solid performances are drawn out of Wisdon, Webber and a once more resurrected John Goodman. Blair does nicely as Vi, although the other female roles are noticeably stale. This may well be a product of the writing more so than the acting however. The long takes are unfortunately pretty dull to look at however, as Solandz takes little to no interest in camera movement, composition or framing. The soundtrack is a big disappointment as well. It’s credited to Belle and Sebastian in the opening titles, but all you get is a song or two. There’s no score to speak of.

On the whole Solandz tries something relatively original and it succeeds to a limited extent. The film has a goal and it sticks to it, which is admirable. It’s not terribly effective however, and the lack of ingenuity with the visuals (something that truly separates Anderson from the pack) is a sin not easily forgiven. The film is reasonably entertaining and gives you a little to think about if you really want to. That’s better than most but worse than many.

RATING: 59%