Todd Solondz may be one of the greatest screen-writers, directors, and casting agents of his generation. He turns discomfort into an art, makes taboos all too palpably real, and monsters uncomfortably human. If you’ve never seen his films, start with Welcome to the Dollhouse. And if you like it, we’ll talk about the next ones.

In Welcome to the Dollhouse, being a loser has never been so artfully explored and examined. Dawn Weiner doesn’t get a break: it’s not just her peers who can’t stand her, even her parents and teachers are disgusted by her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f47VAWDznE

In fact, Dawn doesn’t even get a break after the movie. One of Solondz’s later films, Palindromes, begins at her funeral after she’s committed suicide. And this is not a spiller: The great thing about Solondz’s films, especially Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness, and Life During Wartime, is that each scene is its own vignette, able to stand on its own.