Review of Funny Ha Ha (2003) by Kevin H — 06 Apr 2014

This movie supposedly started "mumblecore," the film movement defined by stories that are sometimes just as meandering and seemingly unsure as its oftentimes postgrad twenty-something characters.

Some might consider that a criticism, but if anyone does it well it's Andrew Bujalski. The movie unfolds in an unforced way that feels very much like hanging out versus just dragged through plot points.

However that doesn't mean there's no skill or interest involved. A lot does happen in the movie for main character Marnie, played attractively by Kate Dollenmayer: she almost gets a drunk tattoo, goes to parties, starts a new job, has unfinished business with an ex.

All the parts we're so accustomed to in more mainstream early adulthood films are there, but the difference is in the approach. It's a well written and tightly structured movie, but what differentiates it -and what leads to its criticisms- is the way the characters deal with these developments.

Instead of exploding with emotion and dialing up the drama Marnie and everyone that surrounds her react with understatement and subtlety. Its kind of like watching melodrama unfold at library room tone.

Understandably, this type of movie isn't for everyone. However, for anyone who knows or wants to know what that postgrad malaise feels like, perhaps no genre does it better than mumblecore, and no film a better example than Funny Ha Ha.