Dark Horse

I get it Todd. Real life is depressing. Abe is a product of American capitalism. He has rich parents, a bad diet, uses pop-culture catch-phrases and assumes an unearned sense of entitlement. It's pretty clear that there's no "Tommy Boy" redemption coming here, but anyone expecting a black humor comedy in it's place will be left wanting. There is little to root for in any of the characters and despite some great, very dry, performances "Dark Horse" is at heart about realism. Jobs are mundane, people are medicated, have awkward conversations and drive to mega malls. As document of the times, "Dark Horse" may be relevant, those seeking a 2 hr escape from reality will feel worse afterwards. Unless you drive a Hummer.

I don't know why the film has such low ratings, because this is a typical representative of 4chan, although I still understood that the inhabitants of 4chan do not have a drop of his self-confidence. Learn while he's alive!

"Sweetie, we've written you off as a failure years ago." Abe (Gelber) is a toy collector and a slacker. In his 30's and still living at home with his parents and working for his father (Walken) he is not always happy. He meets Miranda (Blair) at a party and instantly falls in love. He asks her out once then proposes marriage. When a series of events begins Abe's life takes a strange turn. Having never seen a movie by Solondz before I was expecting this to be a comedy. I couldn't have been more wrong. The movie is OK but it's pretty depressing and Gelber does a really good job in this you really feel for his character. Selma Blair also does a pretty good job and they was she plays you are as confused about her as Abe is, which is probably the point. The acting really drives and helps the movie but to me the movie is just to slow moving to make it a high recommend. If you like Solondz movies then you will like this I'm guessing. To me it was OK but hard to get into. Overall, not bad but slow moving and I did get bored a little, up until the end. Which I was not expecting. I give it a C+.

Todd Solondz obviously doesn't like people. If he did he wouldn't give us characters as thoroughly unlikable as Abe and Miranda, make them the leads in his disquieting, fantasy 'rom-com' "Dark Horse" and then set them up for our ridicule, (the 'comedy' comes from how much we laugh at these characters rather than with them). Abe is fat, unattractive and obnoxious with it and Jordan Gelber plays him superbly. Miranda is a would-be beauty who has let herself go; let herself go to the extent that she is prepared to marry Abe, a man she doesn't even like let alone love. Selma Blair plays her as a one-dimensional loser making her equally difficult to like. Abe lives at home with his parents, (brilliant performances from Christopher Walken and Mia Farrow), and works for his dad, though to be honest he doesn't do much work.

This is typical Solondz; a miserablist, myopic vision of humanity but without the brilliance that distinguished earlier pictures like "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and "Happiness". If I describe this as a 'pathetic' picture I don't mean that it's bad. It's very well written, directed and acted, (Donna Murphy is terrific as the secretary who fuels Abe's fantasies), but it's full of people you would cross town, never mind the street, to avoid and whatever handicaps you might have yourself it makes you glad you're not like anyone up there on the screen.

"You should just face the truth." (Abe) "What is the truth?" (Mom) "That we're all terrible people!"

I like quirky with the best of them, but Dark Horse is not at all as entertaining as director Todd Solondz's Welcome to the Dollhouse and too depressing to promise a dedicated audience of nerds who usually require at least entertaining fare.

This story of an overweight loser, Abe Jordan Gelber (in schlubby Kevin James mode), is so negative that identifying with him is a difficult task for any audience member. Upon meeting another family "dark horse," Abe asks Miranda (Selma Blair) to marry him, as uncool und untimely a request as could be possible.

Yet, these two are soul mates, awkward outsiders with enough hang-ups to people a whole other dysfunctional drama: He collects Simpson's memorabilia and she sports hepatitis b. I just can't find anything else interesting.

Abe works for dad (Christopher Walken), is counseled for real or in dream by loving mom (Mia Farrow), and tries to tolerate his achieving brother (Justin Bartha). Solondz's direction allows intimate involvement with the two dark horses and their families, so there can be no doubt that the expected fates will be unusual to say the least.

Slow and dull, like Abe himself, the film skirts the bold satire characteristic of Solondz's previous work (he even blurs out the Toys 'R Us sign on the store, not once but twice). In the end, you have a portrait of a loser who really doesn't deserve the attention even 86 min gives him. I doubt this small film will be even a dark horse in any competition.