Two utterly brilliant sequences--one between Ciaran Hinds and Charlotte Rampling, the other between Hinds and Chris Marquette--alone make it worth seeing, and its Solodonz' best looking film to boot. The idea of a sequel to "Happiness" with different actors plays far too awkwardly for the film to really work, though, and too often (unlike the similarly, but more successfully affected "Palindromes") it feels like he's painted himself into a corner. Still, too much good stuff here to dismiss.

"As with Palindromes, Life During Wartime revolves around a casting gimmick, with its predecessor's roles now embodied by all new performers." - Nick Schager

An ugly film; exaggerates the trend of coloring everything teal and orange in post-processing, accentuated by the wallpapers. 'Cause, you know, that's how we make movies in this WARTIME. Not entirely disagreeable but so deliberately mundane and palled I get the feeling it wasn't made to be enjoyed. You win, Todd, I did not enjoy it. "In the end, China will take over and none of this will matter."

I didn't find anything particularly insightful in this inane social satire. It essentially just recycles the same plot points, structure, and jokes from Happiness; this time around, however, the humor is more stale and the commentary is less relevant. It feels entirely superfluous, and its lousy script and forgettable characters ensure that it will appeal to neither newcomers nor die-hard fans of the original. As for those of you who didn't like Happiness ... stay far, far away.

There are a handful of great moments in this, and i "mostly" love the new cast, but unfortunately it doesn't have the same level of sincerity as it predecessor, and the whole thing ends up feeling a bit forced.

Beautifully-photographed and funny in the Solondzian way, and a good watch, but I didn't feel any degree of connection to these characters. There were plenty of moments, but overall it wasn't as effective as Happiness; I felt like more of a passive observer. Cast changes were mostly good but I wasn't big on the new Bill.

Reconvening with characters who in 1999's Happiness played more like misguided instruments of provocation, director Todd Solondz betrays both a greater sense of cinematic artistry and a greater gift for cutting social satire. Following his flawed cast of characters as they attempt mutual reconciliation and redemption, Life During Wartime recalls the ironic wickedness of his own Storytelling and the cunning depth of Zombie's underrated Halloween 2. It's smart, hilarious, brutal and honest.

It´s comprehensible that most people have no use for this kind of movie, for this kind of humor. Solondz did what he can do best, creating vicious dialogues full of black humor and continues where he once stopped with this new cast, that don´t reach the brilliance Hoffmann and the others did in "Happiness" but who feel fit and make "Life During Wartime" highly recommendable to all Solondz Fans and those who love to say:" Oh my god, did she just really said that??" Hilarious

Life During Wartime might be the toughest American movie of 2010. Its audacity confirms Solondz's ingenuity and thematic focus.