Review of The Squid and the Whale (2005) by Jeffrey M — 01 Sep 2012

Hilarious, insightful, honest, and intelligent, The Squid and the Whale looks at family dynamics in a refreshingly true-to-life fashion. The build-up to the divorce and its' aftermath, the passive-aggressive anger, the selfish motivations, all of it is dealt with honestly and with humor. The performances are all strong, but the film is undoubtedly made by Jeff Daniels, with his defeated sarcasm and dead-pan charm. I would have liked to see the film be a bit longer, spending more time on the impact of the younger brother, and the subsequent dealings between Eisenberg's and Jeff Daniels' character, but from what the film did touch on, it did well. That it's a semi-autobiographical film only gives it more weight and credence.

4/5 Stars.