Storytelling Review
by Shannon Patrick Sullivan (shannon AT morgan DOT ucs DOT mun DOT ca)October 7th, 2002
STORYTELLING (2001) / ** 1/2
Directed by Todd Solondz, from his screenplay. Starring Selma Blair, Paul Giamatti, John Goodman. Running time: 87 minutes. Rated AA for offensive language and nude scenes by the MFCB. Reviewed on October 5th, 2002.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: In the first of two stories, college student Vi (Blair) abandons her boyfriend, who is afflicted with cerebral palsy. At a bar she encounters her college creative writing professor, and the two embark on an evening which will change her approach to fiction. In the second story, underachiever Toby Oxman (Giamatti) finds himself thrust into making a documentary about American youth. His subject is apathetic Scooby Livingstone (Mark Webber), whose father (Goodman) is determined to see his son go to university, whether he wants to or not.
Review: The short opening segment of "Storytelling", called "Fiction", is an interesting piece about three people who use their writing as means to obtain acceptance and, more fundamentally, sex. Blair does good work as the insecure Vi, and Robert Wisdom is downright intimidating as her professor; he's the embodiment of the "sinister black man who wants to steal your white girlfriend" stereotype of racist literature. Less successful is the much longer second segment, "Non-Fiction". Here Solondz turns the camera on himself, sort of, in his depiction of a wannabe documentarian, nicely played by Giamatti. The characters are smartly conceived and portrayed, especially Webber as the aimless Scooby, Goodman as his imperious father, and Jonathan Osser as his well-spoken but clueless younger brother. Solondz's ear for dialogue and uniquely dark sense of humour are evident. But "Non-Fiction" is not as tightly focussed as "Fiction"; it drifts on and on, throwing in a variety of bizarre occurrences to try to justify its runtime, and seems to be circling around its point rather than flying right towards it. And, perhaps more surprisingly, Solondz's efforts to be daring in "Non-Fiction" seem almost rote. Altogether, "Storytelling" is a treatise on the adage that truth is stranger than fiction -- but we knew that already, didn't we?
Copyright © 2002 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
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