Palindromes movie review

ratbag's review

After "Mysterious Skin", another film which features paedophilia, I thought I'd be able to handle "Palindromes". I thought wrong. You don't get desensitised to paedophilia by watching more movies about it, much in the same way that I don't think you get desensitised to violence by watching more violent movies.

"Palindromes" is not just about a young girl's experience with pedophilia, but it poses a question on why some children have such a difficult childhood. The answers are not obvious, though.

Aviva (who is played by eight different actresses) seems like your average troubled kid. Through the use of different actresses, we can see that she suffers from a lack of self-esteem, feels she doesn't belong (when played by African American actresses), is extremely fragile ("Henry" Aviva), although sometimes she is motherly, comforting. See the official website for the list of "Avivas". Aviva is not interested in sex, but just desperately wants to have a baby, just so that she can have somebody to love.

"Palindromes" is an important film for parents with daughters. It is an important film for adults who care about fostering good relationships with teenagers. Aviva's situation may seem to be every parent's nightmare (she gets pregnant, and is forced to have an abortion), but it forces us to think about how we treat our young. Most adults seem to have lost touch with what it means to be a teenager, and growing up. The adults in this film seem to be talking to Aviva, but they cannot relate to her, nor understand her.

Although a good film, it is unsatisfying and disturbing, because "Palindromes" does not give us answers. But at least it made us think ...

aelst's review

I'm getting bored of these pedo movies. This one is about a young girl that wants babies. The problem starts from young where she mentions that she wants a kid because she has too much love to give. This is a severe warning sign that her parent ignored.

The girl in this movie (the actress keeps changing, this is annoying and makes it harder to follow) has an obsession with babies, so she ends up getting knocked up, aborts, and tries again. She is young and one of the encounters is with an adult so this may offend some people. The movie didn't have much to say.

Also the computer dork is the biggest loser in all this. Why??! :(

1 out of 5 stars.