Review of The Squid and the Whale (2005) by Jack G — 01 Feb 2011

I make it no secret that Wes Anderson is one of my favourite directors. Every single one of his films is blisteringly unique in its storytelling and provides a fresh feel to a film that certain big blockbusters can't seem to achieve even with their luxurious budget. So his involvement in this film (...(read more) as the producer) is what originally attracted me to it.

The film follows the story of two boys dealing with the divorce of their parents and the effect it has on their relationship as a family. It's the semi-autobiographical tale of writer and director, Noah Baumbach, who is also known as the co-writer of The Life Aquatic with one Wes Anderson.

The first thing noticeable about the film is that Wes Anderson is somehow involved. However, it comes off more as a failed attempt at a parody of Wes Anderson. There are so many signature Anderson tricks in the film, from the use of obscure music to camera angles to the cinematography to the way subtle one liners are written into the scene. But none of it feels genuine and most importantly, none of it fits the feel of the film. Most of the scenes are shot hand held causing the occasional light shaky cam and unusual camera angles, and while they may come off as artistic and creative, they really didn't add anything to the film. The way it's written didn't call for that type of cinematography and it screams wanting to do it just because it looked good in another film. I've seen many indie films that were made to look like an indie film for no good reason and it's a cheap way of trying to create a style for a film.

I was surprised a lot by how the films story was told. A lot of the time a scene happens, but nothing comes of it in terms of emotional build. Dramatic things happen in scenes, although you feel like you've just been told what happens and don't have to have an opinion on it, so it's not really a story being told, more so just stating what is happening without explaining the effects of it happening. There are many very short scenes, no longer than 15-20 seconds that are used to establish a character and how their actions influence the other 3 members of the family, but the way they're placed into the film, often cut into quickly after very intense scenes, it comes off as quite awkward and gives no time to really let anything sink in. I would say that was the films biggest problem; a lack of emotional connection. There are a few times in the film where something happens with a character that has been built up through the film, such as Frank's masturbating, yet nothing is ever accomplished out of it so there's no payoff, which leaves you feeling empty and unmoved. There are several things that are quite far fetched and not explained enough to really believe, like Frank drinking alcohol, being left alone for 3 days and not worrying and even his masturbating in school. I also felt that Joan wasn't written very well nor established enough from Bernard. It appears Baumbach focused more on Bernard's relationship with the kids than Joan's and it gave an uneven portrayal of the story.

The film doesn't hold back on its portrayal of childish parenting though. There are nany powerful scene and this has a lot to do with the fantastic all round effort by the actors. Everyone was great in their role and added a lot to the characters as some were written quite one-dimensional. I was especially impressed with Jeff Daniels as Bernard and his relationship with Walt, I thought that was the glue of the film that held it together and was always progressing and adding to the film. Walt being so engrossed and impressed with his fathers career as a writer without even reading his books and taking every opinion he has as gospel so he never has to form his own, it's played out in the film very well and how it comes back to hurt Walt in his social life. There were many character relationship progressions I liked, but some changed so quickly without any explanation, like Frank and Joan, it was hard to keep up with how they felt and how this made you feel.

There's certainly a lot to like about The Squid And The Whale, but I don't think it was as original or poignant as it tries to be. Those two factors rely on simplicity and subtlety to be effective and this film lacks both those qualities. Many people here would enjoy it though, but I believe there are far more creative indie films out there that hit harder and certainly provide bigger laughs.