The Squid and the Whale
d. Noah Baumbach, 2005
Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale is probably the funniest comedy of last year, one that, in recent times, can only be matched by something of Wes Anderson's. And indeed this film does share some similiraties with Anderson's films; if only in its writing, seeing as to how Baumbach co-wrote The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. However, I still believe Anderson's films are more inventive and, in their own way, funnier.
A lot of the success of The Squid and the Whale comes from the writing, which is reminiscent of Woody Allen's work as well as french new wave films like Truffaut's The 400 Blows. Although its screenplay is the movie's strongest point, its visual style is no less than admirable, if less inventive than Anderson's. The film was shot on Super 16, and the grainy, organic effect that it creates is one that I am instinctively drawn to.
The film revolves around the Berkman family. The parents, Bernard (Jeff Daniels) and Joan (Laura Linney) are both writers, and they have two sons, Walt (Jesse Eisenberg), who is 16, and Frank (Owen Kline), who is 10. Soon after the opening scenes, the parents decide to separate, and the rest of the film is about the aftermath. The film observes as Walt sides with his father while Franks clings to his mother, as secrets are revealed, and as they try to come to peace with one another. And, yes, it's a comedy.
Although I am unsure as to how strong the film's message really is, it certainly does a great job at observing these particular characters and painting interesting and heartfelt exchanges between them.
The result is a very enjoyable film that is, at once, both funny and sad. All of the scenes are great in their own way, and The Squid and the Whale is never boring. There is so much intellectual wit and cultural references in it that you'd think you were watching something Woody Allen would have made soon after Annie Hall.
