Reel Life reviews: 'Wartime', 'Tere Bin Laden'

Reel Life review: 'Life During Wartime'In a Todd Solondz movie, there is nothing more exciting than the anticipation of what the characters might say or do next. Also in a Todd Solondz movie, there is nothing more terrifying than the fear of what the characters might say or do next.Solondz's newest movie "Life During Wartime" is also his most disturbing. It's a look at how the dysfunctional characters from his uncompromising 1998 blacker-than-black black comedy "Happiness" have turned out a decade later. Not much better.The pedophile shrink played by Dylan Baker is now played by Ciaran Hinds. He's just been freed from prison and sets out to contact his two sons, one of whom has been told by his irresponsible mother Trish (Allison Janney) that he's dead.Yep. This isn't exactly a warm and fuzzy kind of family bonding movie.While desperate Trish romances an older man (Michael Lerner, playing a character from Solondz's first movie "Welcome to the Dollhouse"), her black sheep sister Joy (Shirley Henderson) trades barbs with the ghost of her boyfriend Andy (Paul Reubens, an inspired casting choice) who keeps pursuing her, despite having already committed suicide over their relationship.Although Solondz casts different actors to play his characters this time around - there are several others interwoven into the storyline - you should probably see "Happiness" before watching "Life" to maximize your understanding of these sad, tragic people and see just how far they haven't come in 12 years.In a last-minute twist, Solondz has an adolescent boy cry out for a father's love that we know will never come. And in that moment, we see a world where the adults have messed everything up for the next generation.It would be a mistake to characterize "Life" simply as a downer drama. It's dramatically challenging and original material, filtered through Solondz's detailed, pessimistic view of humanity's flaws.Both "Happiness" and "Life" underscore what can happen when adults forget their obligations to be responsible, engaged, empathetic people. When they don't, life can become a domestic horror story.Like Solondz's movie."Life During Wartime" opens today at the Music Box Theatre, Chicago. No MPAA rating: recommended only for mature audiences. 98 minutes. . . . .Reel Life review: 'Tere Bin Laden'"I might be chasing after America today," says Ali Hassan, "but one day, America will be chasing me!"His words prove prophetic, especially after Ali engineers a diabolic plan to create fake videos of terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden, thereby attracting major attention from the U.S. government.The zany, energetically joyful comedy "Tere Bin Laden" takes a Bollywood look at the impact of 9/11 on Ali's life. Ever since he was a child growing up in Pakistan, Ali (played by charismatic actor Ali Zafar) has been obsessed with the United States of America.Seven years after 9/11, his dream to go to America has been dashed. Rejected six times by immigration and deported once (an event recounted in a music video-inspired musical montage), Ali winds up shooting footage for a ragtag Pakistan TV news team.On assignment, he meets an eccentric chicken farmer named Noora who looks exactly like you-know-who. Ali devises a plan to make some money from news organizations by conning the farmer to play a fake Bin Laden, even though the man doesn't speak Arabic and has no idea he'll be imitating the terrorist leader.Of course, things go terribly wrong for Ali and his American dream."Tere Bin Laden," written and directed by Abhishek Sharma, may not achieve the same orbit of sophisticated nonsense as a classic Marx Brothers comedy, but it does make for one goofy movie unafraid to pull out all the cheesy stops.It shamelessly employs speeded-up motion for comic effect, accompanied by dopey music, quick edits and split screen (seven panels in one frame!) to keep the narrative engaging and the energy infectious.Besides, not every movie can tout that it's been banned in Pakistan."Tere Bin Laden" opens today at the Golf Glen 5 in Niles. No MPAA rating, but suitable for general audiences. 90 minutes. . . .'Revenge' for autismA special screening of "Cats Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" will be presented for viewers with autism at 10 a.m. Saturday at five Chicagoland AMC theaters, including ones in South Barrington, Naperville, Skokie, Northbrook and Chicago.Lights will be brought up and sound brought down to make the movie a more fulfilling experience for viewers with autism. AMC's "Silence is Golden" policy will be suspended for the showings. Go to autism-society.org and click on Sensory Friendly Films for details.A 'Secret' screeningThe independent feature "The Secret of Moonacre," based on the novel "The Little White Horse," will be shown once at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Charlestowne 18 Theater, 3740 E. Main St., St. Charles. It's about a young girl who discovers she's the last Moon Princess with the power to fix an ancient feud. No press screenings available. Go to classiccinemas.com for information.After Hours is 'Love'The After Hours Film Society presents Luca Guadagnino's drama "I am Love" at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Tivoli Theater, 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove. It tells the story of a Russian wife (Tilda Swinton) who marries into an established, very wealthy Italian family, but is never truly accepted into it. General admission costs $9; $5 for members. Go to afterhoursfilmsociety.com or call (630) 534-4528.