Review of Mutual Appreciation (2005) by Daniel K — 29 Sep 2010

3: This is pretty funny, but I only realized who Andrew Bujalski was while watching the credits at the end of the film. I was beginning to wonder what this odd, awkward, compelling, memorable, and unattractive actor was doing in so many mumblecore pictures, but it turns out he also directed many of them.

It definitely makes more sense now. The actor didn't always seem to fit the roles like the glove or be entirely plausible. These stories just kind of amble along, a little like in real life. Life isn't always defined by dramatic trajectories or defined character arcs and we don't often get those in these types of films, whereas they are practically essential in mainstream cinema.

These films are a refreshing and modest change. I wouldn't want to be sustained solely by mumblecore films, but they're a very worthwhile alternative. The music here is solid, the characters are compelling, the issues are terribly plausible, awkward moments abound, and the dialogue seems haphazard as does the films general construction.

Everything basically works and the ending takes a turn one definitely has not come to expect from the cinema. Friendship of this kind seems pretty rare and makes the ending seem a bit infectious.