The dark soul of Solondz

The polarizing director of 'Welcome to the Dollhouse' and 'Happiness' recasts characters from the latter film to similarly unsettling effect in 'Life During Wartime.'

Directors don't normally travel with theme music, but as Todd Solondz walks in the door, the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" comes over the house stereo. It's a fitting bit of serendipity, given that Solondz's films are rich in explorations of the dark side of human nature. Or, as his critics would have it, he's a misanthrope, creating miserable, pathetic characters and then driving them further into the depths of despair.