a movie about some regular deeply messed up people and their lives behind mostly closed doors. at its heart this is about trying to establish humanness in these darkest of places. and we're talking pedophilia, murder, obscure sex calls, etc.

so of course this goes hand in hand with us dealing with all kinds of disturbing discomfort. but we feel empathy for these characters. by forefronting their human condition of existential loneliness and their struggles to overcome this terrifying state they become relatable. in dark comedic tone we see them trying to connect, with all their limitations and against all odds under the light of their inabilities. we follow them in their search for some form of dignity right in the epicenter of their cratering shame. the humanization of these characters stripped down to their most ugliest selves is an emotional tour de force full of social taboos and awkwardness.

Todd Solondz doesn't back off in giving false relief, he just stays right at their side. it's a carthartic power trip. a sympathetic portrayal of the insanely screwed up people they are.

and he gives us plenty of social commentary along with it. putting it in the grand scheme of things. of course the profounder evil lies elsewhere. we witness the moral superiority of the ones incorporating the self righteous inhumane stance of the dominant conservative culture. our protagonists are like shadow figures or more modernly put split off parts of these harshly enforced emotionally crippling social norms. they reflect the many ugly faces of repression in a guilt driven, hyper moralistic culture, in which all otherness is sacrificed on the altar of the traditional, seemingly well intact family.

at the dining table we see how rigidly these roles are cemented in the nuclear family, this core reproduction cell of social status in modern life. neatly sealed up by all kinds of reaffirming glue, especially the firmness of unquestioned puritan righteousness. and especially through shaming and guilt tripping. yes, the representatives of this system are the true monsters in their ignorance and self neglectance.

"I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you."

"but I'm not laughing."

finally fakeness and disconnect are called out lifting the facade. we sense the possibility of empowerment and a truer self.

the last scene hints at resolution. "I came." we see him smiling, full heartedly. it's by far the closest anyone here has come to experiencing happiness.

really an outstanding cast here. especially the great and much missed Philip Seymour Hoffman. he was so good in playing these dark and challenging characters.

watched the 4k restoration by the Criterion Collection 4,5/5