It’s been more than 25 years since Todd Solondz found breakout success at Sundance with his second feature, Welcome to the Dollhouse. Happiness, his funereal comedy of middle-class malaise, arrived a few years later, provoking some serious pearl clutching among those not attuned to its wickedly satirical ways.
Now in his early 60s, Solondz shows no signs of mellowing in his caustic prognoses of the American family. He’s maintained a steady work-rate, releasing a film every four years or so, often reincarnating characters from earlier works to populate his very own cinematic universe of suburban angst. Recasting them with different actors from film to film, their faces may change, but in Solondz’s merciless cosmic order, new masks offer little protection against a wounded soul.
Yet, as Dark Horse and Wiener-Dog—his two most recent pictures—readily attest, Solondz’s worldview doesn’t want for humor. Like all of his films, these tragicomedies emphasize the karmic dependency of the two modes. Whether comedy or tragedy dominate is a matter for each viewer to decide. Solondz mines vanity and absurdity from his characters’ spiritual doldrums, but lends an empathetic ear to the mess of uncomfortable truths that keep his lost souls stumbling on.

It&#8217;s been more than 25 years since Todd Solondz found breakout success at Sundance with his second feature, Welcome to the Dollhouse. Happiness, his funereal comedy of middle-class malaise, arrived a few years later, provoking some serious pearl clutching among those not attuned to its wickedly satirical ways.
Now in his early 60s, Solondz shows no signs of mellowing in his caustic prognoses of the American family. He&#8217;s maintained a steady work-rate, releasing a film every four years or so, often reincarnating characters from earlier works to populate his very own cinematic universe of suburban angst. Recasting them with different actors from film to film, their faces may change, but in Solondz&#8217;s merciless cosmic order, new masks offer little protection against a wounded soul.
Yet, as Dark Horse and Wiener-Dog&#8212;his two most recent pictures&#8212;readily attest, Solondz&#8217;s worldview doesn&#8217;t want for humor. Like all of his films, these tragicomedies emphasize the karmic dependency of the two modes. Whether comedy or tragedy dominate is a matter for each viewer to decide. Solondz mines vanity and absurdity from his characters&#8217; spiritual doldrums, but lends an empathetic ear to the mess of uncomfortable truths that keep his lost souls stumbling on.

A Dog's Life: Two by Todd Solondz

A DOG'S LIFE: TWO BY TODD SOLONDZ

Presenting the most recent films from Todd Solondz, the preeminent caustic chronicler of the American family and its ills. A prickly tale of arrested development and sausage-dog woes respectively, Dark Horse and Wiener-Dog serve their pathological pills with dark wit and psychological complexity.

Presenting the most recent films from Todd Solondz, the preeminent caustic chronicler of the American family and its ills. A prickly tale of arrested development and sausage-dog woes respectively, Dark Horse and Wiener-Dog serve their pathological pills with dark wit and psychological complexity.