Truly Dreadful Film

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

"Dark Horse" is the best movie Todd Solondz has done since "Happiness". It took me two viewings to "get" it, but once I "got" it I have to say the movie has stayed with me. I now conclude that "Dark Horse" is a surrealist film in the tradition of late-era Bunuel and recent David Lynch. It has more in common with Solondz' "Palindromes" than any of his other work. It isn't meant to be taken literally. Like "Life During Wartime", which was a both a sequel and a re-imagining of "Happiness", the perspective is skewed and left unexplained until the very end. Unfortunately, the explanation isn't clear to those expecting a movie closer in spirit to "Welcome To The Dollhouse".Almost no one reviewing the movie here on IMDb goes into much detail over (here come the spoilers) Donna Murphy's character. It is, in fact, the crux of the movie: The film is mostly told through Marie's eyes. Abe's perspective is shown here and there (especially in the coma vision he has at Toys R Us) but if you see the majority of the film as Marie's fantasy of Abe-- her dark horse --navigating his fruitless life, then it makes much more poignant sense.Also, it's clear (to me at least) that, as obnoxious as Abe is, he is also the most un-self-conscious character in the movie, and therefore a relief to Marie and Miranda. At one point Miranda even asks him if he is for real; she wonders if his demeanor is a put-on, some sort of ironic act he is performing for her. When we meet Mahmoud for the first time, we understand why she asked: Mahmoud is as affected as Abe is unaffected. It is this unaffected poise that compels Marie to root for him, and also causes Miranda to realize that maybe she might care about things after all-- just not to Abe's liking, which is the tragedy of the movie. After infecting him with the disease that kills him, she cannot even bear to tell him what he wants to hear, and he dies shortly after. It all boils down to the last shot of Marie, daydreaming at work, perhaps dancing with her dark horse, the wrong horse to bet on, the one she was sure was going to break out and win. The revelation that Abe's dad also thought of him as a dark horse (in a scene that may or may not be from beyond the grave) ties it all together as well.I hope anyone who saw this movie and reviewed it here goes back and watches it again, because it is amazing. Even if you liked it, I think you might have missed something about it the first time around. Never has the phrase "rewards repeat viewings" actually meant something than with this dark horse of a movie.

I almost watched every single Tod Solondz' movie, except "Fear, anxiety and depression". I firmly believe that he's one of the most sincere, provoking and profound movie directors of our time. He dares to tell audiences what life really is. Now "Dark horse" is said to be a dark comedy and it is, in some way. But I feel that in this particular case the comedic side loses space in favor of the tragic one. Darckness, lack of hope reign in this film. Solondz is quite explicit about it, especially in the last toy store scene, when Abe is told the truth about himself. At the end of the movie you see that Abe's life is a wasted one. Check the final scene, when Abe's father and cousin are discussing business details while the secretary is fantasizing about him. Check the cemetery scene where you see that even the date on his tombstone is wrong, like one of the most poignant moments of every man's life was meaningless. There is more: it's like Abe doesn't belong to the world of men where he should to. The only ones who grieve for him are women. But even so the guy is hopeless: he is wiped out the face of the hearth. Those are the reasons why I felt pleasantly disturbed by the film: there is no way out, what little hope shows up is useless. However, there are flaws, mister Solondz: first Selma Blair's performance is somehow dry: she does the right moves, she uses the right tones of voice but she is not very convincing. And there are too much statements: the characters are too explicit about their feelings. I think they should come out with more subtlety like they did in Happiness and Storytelling

It's nice to see Todd Solondz working again, even if his films never play anywhere. Jordan Gebler stars as a chubby man in his 30s living with his parents (Mia Farrow and Christopher Walken) and working for his father. His life is going nowhere, and he's taking out his existential frustrations on everyone around him. He has one small hope in a new acquaintance he's made, an enormously depressed girl he meets at a wedding (Selma Blair, reprising her character from Solondz Storytelling - maybe). The two don't hit it off right away, but, thankfully for him, she soon gives up on all of her aspirations and agrees to his ill-advised marriage proposal. This is perhaps a tad less funny than Solondz's best films and even more depressing. Bartha is so obnoxious I could imagine many viewers tuning out immediately, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't see myself in that character. Most of us have these tendencies, or at least know someone who does. As the film progresses, it often enters the realm of fantasy or imagination without warning, often from the perspective of a character whom we might not imagine at first. It's an interesting film that I didn't flat-out love, but it's one I would like to see again in the future, for sure. Performances all around are very good. It's nice to see Farrow - can't remember the last time. Donna Murphy and Aasif Mandvi also have choice roles.

Greetings again from the darkness. Todd Solondz is the master of film uncomfortableness. If you have seen his "Happiness", you won't debate whether that's a real word or not. Mr. Solondz has a way of finding the worst in his characters and then taking it even darker and more negative. And yet, somehow, his latest (and maybe his simplest film to date) could be called a comedy.We are first introduced to Abe (Jordan Gelber) and Miranda (Selma Blair) as they share a table at a wedding, yet somehow aren't remotely together. He is oblivious to her near silent attempts to nicely avoid providing her phone number to him. The film moves quickly to provide proof that Abe is the epitome of arrested development. A mid-thirties something who not only "works" for his dad, but still lives with his parents (Mia Farrow, Christopher Walken)in a bedroom decorated with action figures. It's difficult to look at someone who takes up as much space as Abe and categorize them as a kid, so I believe the better term is "not an adult". He stalks Miranda and doesn't seem to mind/notice that she is a heavily medicated depressed individual who looks at him like he's a circus act.Abe's work environment is no better than his personal life. He brings nothing of value to his dad's company, yet somehow thinks he is always being mistreated. This carries over to his feelings toward his brother Richard (Justin Bartha), who is a doctor. Abe, who dropped out of college, believes the only difference is that Richard was the favorite son and received special privileges. It's very easy to label Abe a "loser", but somehow Solondz manages to maintain our interest with small sparks of hope.The hope quickly fades and Abe's life heads on a fast downward spiral. There are some bizarre fantasy/dream sequences that involve the quiet, much older co-worker Marie (Donna Murphy), and a conversation in the car with his mother and brother that plays like something directly out of a Woody Allen movie (made even creepier with the presence of Mia Farrow).There are some funny moments, but as Mr. Solondz would prefer, the laughs are tainted with guilt. We can't help but wonder why we laugh at a guy for whom we have such little respect ... actually bordering on disgust. I must admit to being pretty tired of Abe by the end of the movie, and couldn't help wondering if it might have been more effective as a short film. Still, the acting was superb, and unfortunately Abe isn't that much of a stretch from someone you probably know in real life. (www.moviereviewsfromthedark.wordpress.com)