Dark Horse

Dark Horse

A comedy of bad manners

By

Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2013

Abe (Jordan Gelber) is a chubby 35, lives with his parents, works for his dad, collects action figures and drives an absurd yellow Hummer. He’s whiny, juvenile and obnoxious. Only Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Storytelling, Happiness), a master of portraits of anguished characters, could (or would) build a comedy of bad manners around a schmuck of this magnitude, and the result is a strangely endearing, undeniably entertaining head-scratcher. Is there such an emotion as compassionate revulsion? Terrific supporting cast includes Selma Blair, Christopher Walken, Mia Farrow and Donna Murphy.