The Squid and the Whale (2005)

Pretty Good

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

All he (the screenwriter) has done was hiding some secret meanings to a number of entities for the viewers to solve. Sure, it's fun working on a puzzle as long as it's "interesting". People give away awards for it because I understand the world is full of crappy writers. In other words, the screenwriter for this movie got "lucky". Now let's focus on the big picture. As far as the artistic flavor is concerned, this movie is below average. Music is crappy. Lighting is crappy. No emphasis on anything. Horrible crap. Indescribable. Good enough for America's Funniest Video. And it's not even 90 minutes long. The writer failed to stretch the script.

There is quite a personal feel to this movie that captures a couple that is divorcing and how that affects their children. I enjoy the interesting rhythm to the dialogue in Noah Baumbach movies and this one was no exception. The family is portrayed as overly honest and perhaps inappropriate conversations with their children. Overall it's an interesting slice of life type of movie. There's a bit of a story as everyone adjusts to the divorce but it's really not about payoff. The running time is under 90 minutes so it's short and sweet and doesn't outstay its welcome.

This emotional, yet surprisingly entertaining indie film is among the best of its kind. It has a very simple story, dealing with the affects a divorce has on the parents' children. It is told like a combination of a film by Wes Anderson, Todd Solondz, and a cinema verite documentarian (mainly because of the use of hand-held camera movement as well as the overall fly on the wall approach to cinema that this film uses).The result is kind of depressing...but it's a little too awkward and funny to ever become really tragic. It is a very healthy and well written mixture of both comedy and drama that will make you both laugh and think. The script is brilliant, filled with dark wit and stunning realism, but the characters and performers deserve equal praise. While the characters seem slightly unlikable and pretentious at times, they're never boring and always feel three dimensional and real-and much of this is due to not only the script but also the brilliant performances. Jeff Daniels is fantastic, as well as Laura Linney, and Jesse Eisenberg is also quite good despite having the overall least likable character in the film, and the young Owen Kline does surprisingly great.This dramedy is hilarious, sad, and unique-an absolute must for all true fans of film

Noah Baumbach's breakthrough feature is a smartly written, aptly directed & brilliantly performed indie that cleverly combines the elements of drama & comedy into one gripping story, is filled with authentic, fully-drawn characters, and offers an honest take on divorce & how it affects everyone who is part of the family.Set in Brooklyn during the 1980s, The Squid and the Whale tells the story of two boys whose lives are turned upside down when they learn that their parents are separating and are going to share a joint custody. Having trouble in adjusting to the suddenly changed situation in the house, the two kids respond in their own ways to cope with the trauma.Written & directed by Noah Baumbach, the film sets up its premise relatively quick and introduces the family when it is on the brink of falling apart, which happens only few moments later. The story is as much about the parents who have to cope with single life after divorce in addition to continue playing the parent part as it is about the kids whose daily lives are affected due to the separation.The dialogues are kept simple yet carry a sharp edge, and every sequence only adds more flesh & depth to the four relevant people in the picture. Also impressive is how well it manages to mix both bitterness & tenderness in nearly every scene throughout its 80 minutes of runtime. And everyone from Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline & even Anna Paquin chip in with very believable performances.On an overall scale, The Squid and the Whale is crafted with extensive personal investment which is evident in the final print and happens to be as enjoyable as it is biting, thanks to skillful writing & superb direction from Baumbach as he stuffs every painful moment of his semi-autobiographical tale with clever wit to make its familial themes more accessible & relatable to the viewers without exposing them to the grimness of failed relationships.