In "Fiction", Todd Solondz walks a fine line between being racist, and being racist to portray racism in a convincing matter. [***SPOILERS***] Vi(Selma Blair) isn't being racist when she says, "**** me hard, ******", because Mr. Scott (Robert Wisdom) is the one who's fulfilling that role. Vi's forced to utter the slur to justify the instructor's rape fantasies. He hates his white female students. But it looks like consensual sex, yet Vi describes the experience as rape to her creative writing class. In the bathroom on the night in question, she tells herself, "Don't be a racist," in which, I think, she presumes that sex with a black man is automatically rape. "Fiction" will make you squirm, and squirm some more. The squirming doesn't stop with "Non-Fiction". What's not commonly reported is that Solondz's treatment of a Hispanic character might be even more rigorous than his African-American author. Consuelos (Lupe Ontiveros), a maid, is humiliated, and then she acts on it. But like the first story, both sides are racist. Less demonstrative than Mr. Scott's pelvic thrusts, and Vi's cry of wolf, Lupe causes more damage, as Solondz has us perversely cheering for the death of a priveleged, but neglected child. "Storytelling" moves into majestic territory when Solondz turns on himself, and even more so, his audience. … Expand

I have seen all of Solondz' films, and I have to say that this was the most thoroughly enjoyable of them all. Sure the first time you see it, it all seems a little shocking, but the more you see it, the more you find funny, although you feel guilty laughing 99% of the time. It's like Blood Simple in that respect. I know that Happiness is supposed to be his tour de force, but it was so over-the-top ridiculous in parts that it seemed like Solondz was throwing scenes in just to make the movie more undigestible. Trust me, this film is hilarious and very, very mean. If you like dark comedies, you have just found your new classic. It's no surprise to me that this has divided critics so much.… Expand

The best of Solondz' films. All of you who are complaining about the content - don't ever see Happiness. You'll kill yourselves. Sure, this film is crude and mean, but it is also hilarious and I found myself laughing, despite the fact that I felt guilty for it. Happiness was just disgusting and had scenes thrown in simply for gross-out effect. Storytelling s a solid film full of thoughtful humor and condescending, yet hilarious, dialogue. Definitely not for all tastes, but this is a film that rewards multiple viewings, that is, if you're not afraid of being called a masochist.… Expand

Fitfully amusing but at all times too shallow and simplistic for good satire. There are no characters, just caricatures (most of them one-note), and the stories are, to put it kindly, rudimentary. The promo self-consciousness and structural gamesmanship add nothing of interest, as usual. On the upside, the music is good, the editing is excellent, and nobody does bottled rage better than John Goodman.… Expand

While I agree with Andy S. about the stories and characters being too rudimentary for good satire, I think that misses the point. This isn't meant as satire, but more as an expose of the hidden motives for storytelling. I'm not usually a big Roger Ebert fan, but his review here is very inciteful although his rating is too high in my opinion. My biggest problem was with the acting which I found overly stiff and self-conscious for material that already leans very far in that direction. But I'm still glad I saw this, and recommend it.… Expand

The music in the opening credits. That's all I have to say. Genius!

Hmm. Now this is very odd indeed. What to make of it, I do not know. Okay, first, I'm here to tell you that the critics over here in Britain weren't divided - they all hated it. And wanted it to die. Which...is fair enough because there's a lot to hate right here. Solondz hits a lot of audience-buttons very hard, and your enjoyment of the film will pretty much correspond to how you respond to the button-hitting. However - and this is just me talking, I'm still not sure what Solondz was trying to do exactly - I don't think he's deliberately courting controversy per se. Look at the "offensive" things he uses. Disability. Racism. Homosexuality. Jewishness. The Holocaust. And of course he gives middle-class suburbia a kicking as well. But I'm thinking that this isn't supposed to shock exactly, because...look at the list, it's like a how-to checklist. These are almost clichés. I reckon that Storytelling's playing with a sort of bleak post-modernism (screams, whinnying) - he knows this is obvious shock-material, and expects the audience to know it as well - and to be aware of his previous film. It's all part of the critique of himself that forms the thematic core of the movie. But that's all my opinion, and what do I know? Storytelling's been called cruel, and in some ways it is (THAT scene between Selma Blair and Robert Wisdom), but Solondz doesn't seem to hate his characters. His Giamatti alter-ego says he loves them, and he probably does. He puts them through some bad stuff, though, and again, I think you're supposed to notice - and listen to the lyrics of the great Belle and Sebastian title song over the credits. This is a movie to watch more than once in order to really grasp what it's for, and where all the pieces go. Even then, you might hate it. I'm finding it hard to rate as it is - because it's got so many cinematic layers, because it's so different from most movies out there, it's kind of hard to slap an arbitrary number onto it. Also, the rating might be compromised by how many of your buttons Solondz successfully presses. But I can't give it not without buggering up the Metascore?, so I'll give it 8, because I sort of admire, or appreciate it...ish. A bit. I think. Assuming I know what he's doing, and there's the rub - most reviews of Storytelling I've read discuss the film in terms of their own theories or ideas of what the movie's for, without stopping to think if they're right or not. The only way you can properly review something is on it's own terms - Storytelling more so. Trouble is, what its own terms are exactly isn't quite clear - which isn't a criticism, but it is frustrating. So what can we say about Storytelling? Well, I can say whether I'd reccomend it or not. Well...no, I wouldn't. Not unreservedly. It's only really going to work for Solondz's "fanbase" (or indie-cred equivalent) or people who can appreciate bleak post-modernism (whinnying) like this. But it's "good" - it succeeds at what it sets out to do, probably. Can't say fairer than that. Perhaps.… Expand

Very good movie. Not as simplistic as some people are claiming. And for those who dislike the movie for its content are the ones being simplistic... Not all movies need to be "sunshine and happy rainbows," and when they are they are rarely worth watching. Movies are an art form and should be free to explore any subject matter (Bonnie G)

It is disgusting that in this day and age our society still tolerates bigotry, racism, and anti semitism. Mr. Solondz has a very strange or warped perception of upper middle class jews and suburbia. He obviously took to the concept of jews being gased to death and did happen to point out the advantages of having had a hitler in this world, especially in the case of the jews). Although parts of the film are funny in a sadistic and twisted way, one shouldn't lose sight of this director's sorry excuse for a movie being a venue for him to spew his sick, stereotypical, and condescending perceptions. This movie is an expression of his own personal bigotry and judgemental values. Hopefully with some warning like this review more suckers won't waste their time or money. I know I certainly will never see another film by this director.… Expand

The film made me question where my morality lies. If I am to laugh at what's onscreen, what does that say about me? But if I am to get angry, what does that say about me?

The relationship between the "fiction" and "nonfiction" ends up being far more interesting than the stories themselves, which are plagued by caricature and stagey directing. All of this belies the fact that this is an entertaining, provocative film. The second half of "nonfiction" is impressive in the way that it brings both the film and the audience into self-referential territory. Whether you found the humour amusing (as I did) or mean-spirited is a matter of taste.… Expand