Must See Movie...

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Blistering performances.

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

I picked this up from a trailer on another DVD. It's quite a little gem:"I've never read any of dad's books." "I have, they're pretty dense..."This film is all of 81 minutes, but it could comfortably be three times that. Every single line is perfect, as it disassembles the human condition with growing tragic hilarity. It's about people, battling as much with themselves as those around them, when each is a part of the other. It's centred around the children of two writers, and it transcends the bubble of being one. Probably my perfect film, but it's a film for anyone.Pure, honest and introverted genius. A film after my own heart x

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

So we have the Berkman family falling apart in Brooklyn in 1986-- they're affluent white folks who live in a spacious brownstone in Park Slope. The father (Jeff Daniels, superb as always) is an acclaimed novelist whose fame is on the wane, so he also teaches. The mother (Laura Linney) is a budding writer, which causes marital tension because her stories are also so acclaimed that they make it into the most notoriously difficult magazine to crack, The New Yorker.I waited for the author of this fiction, Noah Baumbach, to scale back toward reality, but no. It got worse, and hit bottom with the scene at the high school talent show. That is when their teen-aged son, Walt (Jesse Eisenberg), performed an original song on guitar, to great acclaim (of course). He wins the competition. And no wonder. His song is quite a memorable tune. It's "Hey You," by Pink Floyd. Time for a reality check. Pink Floyd's album, The Wall, which includes "Hey You," was issued in 1979, topped the Billboard charts for 15 weeks, and was eventually certified 23x platinum. So we can assume that it would be familiar to at least a few of the parents and teachers, not to mention students besides Walt, in a New York City high school. I mean, no community is that hopelessly square, right? But, to my amazement (and disbelief), the only person who notices the plagiarism is the local tennis instructor, played as a smiling buffoon by William Baldwin, who says words to this effect: "Hey, Walt, I really like that song you wrote by Pink Floyd."This gets Walt an appointment with the school psychiatrist. His 12- year-old brother, Frank, really should have his head looked at too. He's guzzling beer at home and leaving semen stains all over school.There are is no emotional build here, no fresh insights, or even freshly packaged ones. The characters might as well be in any of the various Hollywood movies that insult suburbia as a soul-dead, all- cracker culture (Reservation Road, The Ice Storm, Pleasantville, American Beauty), because setting it in tribal Brooklyn wasted the multi- ethnic, hyper-urban essence of that vibrant borough. It is only the performances-- and really only Jeff Daniels, who brings an unnerving calm to the arrogant, selfish, and pompous man he plays-- that made me stay with the film. I cannot imagine why it was received with the kind of acclaim that implausibly follows its characters.

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.