Dark Horse - Diários de Um Falhado (2011)

Romance blooms between two tricenarians in arrested development: an avid toy collector who is the dark horse of his family and a depressed woman on the rebound.

Director:

Todd Solondz

Writers:

Todd Solondz, Harold Manning (french adaptation)

Stars:

Jordan Gelber, Selma Blair, Christopher Walken

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melisa Young	...	Wedding Singer
Jordan Gelber	...	Abe
Selma Blair	...	Miranda (formerly 'Vi')
Mia Farrow	...	Phyllis
Christopher Walken	...	Jackie
Zachary Booth	...	Justin
Donna Murphy	...	Marie
Tyler Maynard	...	Jiminy
Mary Joy	...	Lori
Peter McRobbie	...	Arnie
Justin Bartha	...	Richard
Aasif Mandvi	...	Mahmoud
Di Quon	...	Waitress
Lee Wilkof	...	Phil
Tara-Lee Pollin	...	Dancing Bride

Storyline

Abe Wertheimer - an odious, purposeless, self-centered 35-year-old living parasitically with his parents (by choice) and working in his dismayed father's business office (avoiding work while scoping eBay for collectible toys) - meets Miranda, an equally pathetic but self-loathing social dropout who, having given up on life, masochistically accepts Abe's sudden proposal of marriage for a knowingly grim future she won't fight against. Along with projecting his own faults onto his father, his own jealousy for lack of success and accomplishment onto his younger brother, and wallowing in the blind support of his mother, it's just another aspect of Abe's unsatisfying life that he just can't see to improve. A long-overdue decision finally spins his insignificant life out of control.

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Plot Keywords:

hepatitis b | man wrapped in a towel | collectible | theater poster | poster | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

M/12

Did You Know?

Trivia

Selma Blair was 5 months pregnant during the filming of the movie.

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Goofs

On the sofa, Marie drinks form her left hand, but when she gets up, her drink is in her right hand, but then it's back in her left hand when she gets to the bar.

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Quotes

Abe: [showing Miranda his room, which is full of action figures, toys and posters of Doctor Who, Lord of the Rings and Thundercats] Don't worry, I am not a Trekkie or anything super-nerdy like that.

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Connections

References TRON: O Legado (2010)

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Soundtracks

When I Fall In Love
Performed by Ben Webster
Written by Victor Young and Edward Heyman
Published by Chappell & Co. (ASCAP) and Intersong-U.S.A., Inc. (ASCAP)
Courtesy of The Verve Music Group
under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Funny peculiar rather than funny ha-ha!

Todd Solondz obviously doesn't like people. If he did he wouldn't give us characters as thoroughly unlikable as Abe and Miranda, make them the leads in his disquieting, fantasy 'rom-com' "Dark Horse" and then set them up for our ridicule, (the 'comedy' comes from how much we laugh at these characters rather than with them). Abe is fat, unattractive and obnoxious with it and Jordan Gelber plays him superbly. Miranda is a would-be beauty who has let herself go; let herself go to the extent that she is prepared to marry Abe, a man she doesn't even like let alone love. Selma Blair plays her as a one-dimensional loser making her equally difficult to like. Abe lives at home with his parents, (brilliant performances from Christopher Walken and Mia Farrow), and works for his dad, though to be honest he doesn't do much work.

This is typical Solondz; a miserablist, myopic vision of humanity but without the brilliance that distinguished earlier pictures like "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and "Happiness". If I describe this as a 'pathetic' picture I don't mean that it's bad. It's very well written, directed and acted, (Donna Murphy is terrific as the secretary who fuels Abe's fantasies), but it's full of people you would cross town, never mind the street, to avoid and whatever handicaps you might have yourself it makes you glad you're not like anyone up there on the screen.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 2013 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Dark Horse - Diários de Um Falhado

Filming Locations:

Edgewater, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,551, 10 June 2012

Gross USA:

$166,228

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$337,150

Company Credits

Production Co:

Double Hope Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1