Palindromes

Cast: Ellen Barkin, Stephen Adly Gurgis, Richard Masur, Debra Monk, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Director: Todd Solondz
Screenplay: Todd Solondz
Genre: Drama
Rated: R 18+ abortion and paedophile themes
Running Time: 100 Minutes

Change Is The Only Constant

Synopsis:
'Palindromes' is a fable of innocence: 13-year-old Aviva Victor wants, more than anything else in the world, to be a mother. She does all she can to make this happen, and comes very close to succeeding, but in the end her plan is thwarted by the authority of her parents. So she runs away, still determined to get pregnant one way or another. But instead Aviva finds herself lost in another world, a less sensible one, perhaps, but one pregnant itself with all sorts of strange possibility. Like so many youthful journeys of self-exploration, this one is cyclical and difficult to explain finitely -it's hard to say in the end which direction Aviva will go, whether she will ever be quite the same again or if she can ever be anything but the same again.

My Verdict:
Aviva Victor declares to her mother early on in the movie 'Palindromes' that she wants to have babies, and lots of them. This movie tells some of her journey as she desperately tries to have the baby of her dreams. It will make Aviva run away from home after her mother forces her to reluctantly have a pregnancy terminated, still not discouraged from her ultimate goal. As Aviva travels, she meets a variety of characters, which will influence her thoughts and actions.

Director and writer Todd Solondz, (Happiness, Storytelling) has delivered a most fascinating and innovative feature that often relies on the unexpected to deliver its message, not the least of which is the use of several different actresses to portray the lead role of Aviva. Initially this may be a hard concept to grasp, but as the many different actresses appear, it is clear that they are all playing the same character the same way - Aviva is naïve, softly-spoken and displays the same immaturity throughout, even when 40-something Jennifer Jason Leigh appears as Aviva. Bear with it and you'll get used to the idea and may even grow to appreciate it. Many characters are introduced with a name slide, which breaks the movie down into chapters.

Palindromes are words or verses that read the same whether read backwards or forwards and it is this concept that is the theme throughout - you can play spot the palindrome numerous times over. Whether this is very clever or too cute and annoying is up for grabs, but there is a speech near the end by one of the characters about the revolving nature of life and that change is inevitable making changes also predictable.

There are some potentially disturbing scenes, for example, the discovery of terminated pregnancies in plastic bags at a rubbish dump may be enough to freak some out, but the reality of this situation is also a powerful blow.

Solondz has certainly created a thought-provoking essay on the power of the human mind in believing its own thoughts. It is not light yet it has some subtle humour where the irony of human nature is exposed. 'Palindromes' certainly challenges traditional filmmaking rules, and for that it deserves praise.

Rating : ***½

Christina Bruce