Writer-director Todd Solondz’s fifth feature Palindromes (2004) — a film of taboos, hypocrisies, and uncomfortable hard truths – is an exercise in cynical, cruel comedy. Known as one of independent cinema’s favorite misanthropes, Solondz paints his twisted portrait of motherhood, abortion, and love by using a variety of actors to play his tragic protagonist Aviva. Aviva is a 13-year-old girl who is obsessed with becoming a mother. Following a tragic event that causes her to run away from her demanding parents (Richard Masur and Ellen Barkin), Aviva embarks on a provocative adventure of pain, sadness, and discovery. The choice to have different actors play Aviva is an inspired one in its construction; the diverse list of actors ranges from Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) to Sharon Wilkins (Love & Other Drugs) to Shayna Levine (The Happening) to Will Denton (Robots). As weird and provocative as it is unforgettable, Palindromes is a great, uncomfortable exercise of empathy for the human condition.
Nothing is taboo in Palindromes with the subject ranging from underage motherhood to abortion to statutory rape — and that’s just the surface. Not many filmmakers could throw all sorts of taboos at the wall and have them somewhat stick within a tight 100-minute runtime like Todd Solondz (Happiness). And what makes the film even more revelatory is just how game the cast is. Aside from the talented diverse cast of actors who play Aviva, two standouts who elevate this dark material with scene-chewing monologues are Ellen Barkin (Drop Dead Gorgeous) and Debra Monk (The Devil’s Advocate). Barkin’s Joyce Victor is a mother who wants her young Aviva to be perfect with no mistakes. She imposes her philosophy of motherhood on her daughter with rude, cutting dialogue. As she responds to Aviva’s protests to not get an abortion (after an early scene where Aviva is impregnated by Judah, a family friend) stating that it’s a living baby, Barkin responds dismissively “it’s not a baby … not yet … it’s just … it’s like a tumor!” Barkin plays this role with deceptive sincerity, adding a layer to Solondz’s talent of making you feel empathy for horrible people. On the other side of the road of flawed motherhood, we have Mama Sunshine (played lovingly by Debra Monk), a Christian fundamentalist who runs a foster home with her husband for disordered orphans and runaways. A selfless act for sure, but the divisiveness kicks in during an uncomfortably funny sequence where the kids put on a musical rehearsal for a tour they do every year. As Mama Sunshine waxes poetic about motherhood to Aviva (“Sometimes it’s so hard to be a good mother”), Monk delivers the monologue with pained emotion. Her and Barkin both steal the show while portraying characters that serve two ends of Solondz’s themes of neglectful motherhood and exploitative motherhood.
Solondz has a gift for setting up cringeworthy, uncomfortable premises and daring you to laugh. However, amidst the biting dialogue, disturbing plot scenarios, and wide-ranging list of horrible people, there is still but a modicum of hope Solondz brings to this story. In an unforgettable exchange between Aviva (now played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Mark Weiner (Matthew Faber), a cousin falsely accused of molestation, he tells her “Whether you’re 13 or 50, you’ll always be the same.” A statement of hopelessness at first glance, but when analyzed deeper, it’s more of an explanation of the reason why Aviva is played by different actors. The different actors may be defense mechanisms, representations of lies that Aviva tells herself (or lies we tell ourselves) or they may be the people Aviva wants to be when she looks in the mirror. While the film may leave things in an odd, happy place, the sting of humanity and its flaws when it looks in the mirror lingers long after the credits roll.
In this special Blu-ray release by Radiance, Palindromes is presented in an updated, director-approved restoration from the original negative by the Museum of Modern Art. There is a nice list of supplements accompanying this release including a video essay by critic Lillian Crowford entitled “Todd Solondz and His Cinema of Cruelty,” interviews with Solondz himself and actor Alexander Brickel (Satan’s Little Helper), and a booklet including notes from Solondz himself, new writings by Bence Bardos, and archival interviews with Solondz and composer Nathan Larson (Boys Don’t Cry). For fans of shocking, subversive cinema and cringe comedy, this expanded release is a must-have.
Palindromes Blu-ray Special Features:
- 4K restoration from the original negative by the Museum of Modern Art approved by writer-director Todd Solondz
- 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
- *NEW* interview with Todd Solondz by critic Hannah Strong (2025, 26 mins)
- *NEW* interview with actor Alexander Brickel (2025, 14 mins)
- Todd Solondz and His Cinema of Cruelty, a new video essay by critic Lillian Crawford (2025, 12 mins)
- Trailer
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Bence Bardos, extracts from the original press book, plus archival interviews with Solondz and composer Nathan Larson
- Limited edition of 2000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
Available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from June 24th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Radiance Films Palindromes webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment Group Palindromes webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
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