Review of The Squid and the Whale (2005) by Ross W — 25 Mar 2010

The Squid and the Whale is an absolutely brilliant story, both piercingly emotional and bitingly funny. It is one of my favorite films in recent years. Made on a budget of $1.5 million, the film's attention is towards the flawless acting by the entire cast and the magnificent script of Noah Baumbach.

Set in the year 1986 in New York City, the film opens with a very symbolic doubles tennis scene. Jeff Daniels, the husband and father, and Jesse Eisenberg, the elder son, are playing against Laura Linney, the wife and mother, and the younger son (I don't know his name). The scene is hilarious and very telling of the rapidly dissolving marriage. From here, the ensuing divorce is at the center of the plot.

This is by far my favorite Jeff Daniels performance. He plays a struggling author who once was acclaimed but has since faded into obscurity. He teaches creative writing at a college. His character is irresistible. He is intelligent but arrogant. He is thoughtful but dogmatically opinionated. He cares about his sons but not always for the right reasons. He is flawed, and he is a wonderful joy to watch. His matter-of-fact, monotone delivery of sardonic comments are hilarious. You kind of like him, but you kind of don't. He is perfect.

Laura Linney is fantastic. She plays the wife and mother who genuinely cares about her sons but has fell out of love with her husband and engaged in extramarital affairs. Also, she has begun to write a novel which is gradually receiving critical acclaim, which stands in contrast to Jeff Daniels' waning popularity. Her character is very three-dimensional. At once she seems like the main catalyst of the divorce, the evil heart of this family catastrophe. But as the film progresses, we see more of her, go further in-depth in her character, and we become sympathetic towards her. She is flawed and she is so human it's beautiful.

Jesse Eisenberg, the oldest son, plays a high school-aged kid who admires his dad. He regurgitates many of his father's "intellectual" comments and opinions. When his parents' marriage ends, he takes the side of his dad, vehemently dismissing his mother as shallow for having affairs and leaving her husband "because he's not as popular as he used to be." He has his own personal journeys throughout the film. He has his first experience with love. These scenes are brilliant and so utterly human it's impossible not to smile.

The youngest son, this actor who I don't know the name of, does a wonderful job as a confused boy who does not fully understand the whole divorce thing, but sides with his mother because she is supportive of his endeavors in tennis whereas Jeff Daniels dismisses tennis as "not serious" and would instead like to see him get "more serious" and get into "books and interesting films." This kid is a joy to watch. Like all the other characters, he has his own personal demons he confronts. He discovers masturbation, and the behaviors he engages in are grossly funny.

Overall, I found The Squid and The Whale to be flawless. I won't spoil it, but the title of the film becomes a very rich metaphor by the end of the film. The film is so beautiful because all the characters are not entirely innocent but not entirely guilty. The dissolution of the family and the painful healing process is a collaborative effort with each character contributing in his/her own unique way. The film is only about 80 minutes long. Every scene, every line, every movement is germane to the story. There is nothing wasted. Everything progresses naturally and inevitably and builds on itself, making the humor and the pain and the drama all the more poignant. Noah Baumbach has struck gold with this film. It is a work of art. It mimics life with all the rich ambivalence life contains.