Dark Horse

"Very Good"

Dark Horse Review


Solondz takes another hilariously pitch-black exploration of human behaviour with a film populated by excellent actors playing seriously messed-up characters. And it can't help but force us to look at how we interact with people around us.

Even though he's essentially a pampered slacker, Abe (Gelber) exudes confidence, relentlessly going after the depressed Miranda (Blair) despite her hesitance. Living in the shadow of his successful doctor brother (Bartha), Abe works for his father (Walken), but does virtually nothing and resents the fact that his hard-working cousin (Booth) gets the credit. But then Abe feels hard-done by everyone he encounters, creating an arch-rival in Miranda's ex (Mandvi). But at no point does Abe's inner life come close to the reality around him.

This constant comical disconnect makes the film thoroughly amusing, as we see everything through Abe's warped perspective. His relationship with his mother (Farrow) is seriously twisted. And he fantasises that his dad's secretary Marie (Murphy) has an outrageous private life that goes way beyond rescuing him in the office. And everything becomes menacing when things don't go his way. He thinks of himself as a dark horse who's about to make good, when actually he's more privileged than everyone around him.

Intriguingly, Solondz never passes judgement on Abe beyond letting him suffer the ramifications of his own terrible decisions. This is a rather fatalistic approach, but it gives the film a darkly amusing tone that's matched by the colourful production values and song score, plus performances packed with details and surprises. Gelber is a charming idiot at the centre of the story; like those around him, we hope he'll snap out of himself long enough to come good. But the odds aren't in his favour.

The entire cast is terrific. Since we're seeing everything through Abe's perspective, most characters are somewhat one-sided, but Solondz and the actors stir in constant little quirks that make everyone engaging. Murphy has the most complex role, since we see her in a variety of real and fantastical settings that tell us more than we know. And Blair has the best line in a film that's full of great ones. But the real kick is learning that most of the time we bet on the wrong dark horse.



Dark Horse

Facts and Figures

Run time: 86 mins

In Theaters: Friday 29th June 2012

Box Office USA: $0.2M

Distributed by: Vitagraph Films

Production compaines: Picturehouse Entertainment, Channel Four Films, Film 4

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 3.5 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Fresh: 50 Rotten: 21

IMDB: 5.9 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews