"That's a nice-a donut."
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Indie writer-director Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale has a very Wes Anderson-ish vibe to it. Perhaps not incidentally, the two worked together on Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Anderson also served as a producer on Squid. It is a very personal and intimate examination of a divorce and its impact on a family of four, oftentimes disturbing and, yes, funny.
The story is set in Brooklyn, New York in the mid-1980s, where Bernard (Jeff Daniels) is a university professor of English and accomplished author, though he's been having problems getting his newest work published. His wife Joan (Laura Linney) is an up-and-coming writer herself and, perhaps in part due to the difference in their recent fortunes, they soon decide to get a divorce. Part of Bernard's problem is that he is too arrogant and snobby; he is an intellectual and considers people who don't read good literature or watch good movies to be "philistines" ("that's minor Dickens" he says with contempt when told what someone is reading). While Joan is just generally unable to be entirely faithful, and also has problems with saying the wrong things at the wrong times. The kids - older Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) and younger Frank (Owen Kline) - seem to take it well at first but jealously and tension get in the way and they inevitably take sides. Frank is a momma's boy and Walt is a reflection of his father, and neither in a particularly good way.
The esoteric title refers to an exhibit at the natural history museum, where Walt's mom would take him when he was younger. The Squid and the Whale represents the ugly side of life that he couldn't face alone, and by the end he is ready to face it (or, at least he hopes that he is).
Baumbach effectively uses close shots and handheld cameras to create an intimate environment, showcasing the intricate, and rather complex, relationships between each of the family members. The film doesn't really side with either parent - which is a good thing. Both of them have serious character flaws, but have positive traits as well. The children ultimately come off as victims though, perhaps more so than they should be. There is plenty of blame to go around, but nobody wants to look in the mirror. One very startling, but effective, subplot involves Walt entering a talent contest. He plays a very recognizable popular song but passes it off as his own; his parents have become completely clueless and helpless, unwitting accomplices in his charade.
All this makes for some dark humor, though not nearly as comical as Anderson's repertoire. There is plenty of raunchy language, and it is ultimately perhaps too emotionally honest to be anything you really want to watch again. Though it is helped by plenty of terrific performances, especially Eisenberg as Walt. In the end, Baumbach's autobiographical creation is definitely not an upbeat movie by any means, but it is an entertaining and often mesmerizing look at the effects of a failed marriage on a family.
The Verdict: B-.
Michael Bentley 7:32 PM
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