Dark Horse
£10 / £8 Concessions / £7 ICA Members
Obese, toy-collecting man-child Abe becomes besotted with vulnerable, over-medicated Miranda after meeting her at a wedding; addled on anti-depressants, she agrees to marry him.
His universe—familiar from Happiness (1998)—is populated with dysfunctional grotesques, his mise-en-scène saturated with tart, artificial colour that complements his acerbic style, and in these respects Dark Horse is no exception. But with this tale of an unlikely couple, there is a sense in which his latest offering is tempered, even sunny in parts. Certainly the director has avoided the sexual perversity that usually colours his work, and is more concerned with coddled, belligerent Abe’s psychology—delving, quite literally in the latter part of the film, into the character’s mind.
Yet even as Abe’s fantasy world takes over, Solondz’ trademark black humour is never far from the surface—delivering, through his unsympathetic protagonist, a scathing critique of the cosseted cohort of ‘Generation X’.
Director Intro
Director Todd Solondz will introduce the 6.30pm screening on 29 June.
Dir. Todd Solondz, USA, 2012, English, 84 mins.
Cast: Jordan Gelber, Selma Blair, Christopher Walken, Mia Farrow.
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