Review of Funny Ha Ha (2003) by Daniel K — 29 Aug 2010

3: That this is a different style of filmmaking is immediately evident. It is obviously a very low budget Indie film, but it is also an example of a new kind of filmmaking. The dialogue, narrative, themes, and characters really do seem to be lifted right out of real life.

The dialogue is unscripted, the focus is on relationships and on just what the hell these people want to do with their life, and the casting definitely seems to have drawn heavily from many with little experience in the acting business.

It's a very small scale picture, yet it's ramifications could be wide reaching for the lives depicted in the picture and for those working through similar issues in their own lives. Above all, it seems genuine and to provide us with a real sense of what it is to be in these characters shoes.

It seems to describe the lives and issues of many other twenty-something's in America today. It'll be interesting to see what these filmmakers start to do as they presumably age out of this stage.

The performances are stellar, the pacing languid and relaxing, the score practically nonexistent, and the focus intense, but likewise lazy. I love the ending as well. Few films have the guts to end a film when they should and this ending even managed to take me by surprise in its abruptness.

I'm looking forward to making my way through a number of the other major works from the so-called mumblecore movement in the next week or two. I didn't love it, at least not like I did Old Joy, but I definitely appreciate it.