Welcome to the Dollhouse Reviews

Generally a fan of Todd Solondzs' work, I figured going back and finally watching his first feature-legth film would be worthwhile. Not the case. Dollhouse is the very definition of product of the 90's. A very angsty film that was met with a lot of critical praise smack center in the decade when angst was in vogue. While this is an impressive debut film in all technical regards, I highly doubt that it would receive much attention if released today. Simply put, it's just not important enough. The satire is really not that cutting or illuminating, and the humor is far too mean-spirited to ever really be enjoyable. This is a film about pain. The awkward social pains of a seventh-grade girl and the deep, burning pains of a crippled self-identity. Solondz expertly shows us how our lead character has arrived at this place, but fails in revealing anything meaningful, or disclosing any truths we haven't known all along. His efforts seem a bit forced and overly-conscious in his dealings with trying to tell this 14-year-old girls story in a convincing way. I hear something resembling the ring of truth, but it's pitch is slightly off. There are a few strong scenes sprinkled throughout this film, but the overall effect is less than startling, provocative, or rewarding in any wothwhile way.