Description

Life During Wartime 2009
R | 1h 38min | Comedy, Drama | 16 April 2010 (Italy)

Storyline:

Friends, family, and lovers struggle to find love, forgiveness, and meaning in an almost war-torn world riddled with comedy and pathos.

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for strong sexual content, brief nudity, and language including some disturbing dialogue

User review:

It’s a sorta sequel to director Todd Solondz’s 1998 film Happiness and the Jordan sisters. The characters are recast. Joy Jordan (Shirley Henderson) marries Allen Mellencamp (Michael K. Williams) who makes obscene calls and she is haunted by Andy (Paul Reubens). Bill Maplewood (Ciarán Hinds) is let out of prison serving for child molestation. His ex-wife Trish Jordan (Allison Janney) has to deal with her son Timmy finding out about Bill’s crime. Bill starts dating Jacqueline (Charlotte Rampling). Trish is set to marry ‘normal’ Harvey Wiener (Michael Lerner). Helen Jordan (Ally Sheedy) is a successful screenwriter in California.

Recasting everybody has the weird sense of an alternate universe. It makes this a weirdly unreal movie. I can’t say that the actors are inferior but they are different. I’m not a big fan of Happiness and this doesn’t change that. I can’t find any rooting interest in any of these characters. Some are downright kill worthy. The discussion between Trish and Timmy is so pathetic that it’s almost funny. At least, it was memorable.

Director: Todd Solondz
Writer: Todd Solondz
Stars: Shirley Henderson, Allison Janney, Ally Sheedy
Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: 16 April 2010 (Italy)
Filming Locations: Puerto Rico