Review of The Squid and the Whale (2005) by Adam K — 06 Jan 2009

A sense of relaism is felt throughout the film, that its motive of disturbance works in every fashion. as subtle of a film as it is, its approach to family issues at the hand of divorce is played upon with uncomfortable moments between parents and their kin.

throughout every thing encountered in the picture, it is simply brilliant. the cast is splendid all around, and no talent is wasted. with an excellent script to drive the fantastic performances, there is never a dull moment, always exposing you to something shocking, disturbing, touching or sad.

daniels and linney work equally great as characters you want to dislike, and often do so, but at many times, attempt to balance out who is really at fault in the situation. anna paquin, jesse eisenberg, owen kline and william baldwin are present in full force.

the film carries multiple disturbing scenarios, and any viewer not accustomed to feeling uncomfortable may often do so at some point. nonetheless, this was the best film of 2005, taking risks, and doing everything to prevent itself from shilding the viewer from reduced relaism to tell a fantastic story about family struggles, and how each character is shaped by the experiences brough upon them by the story's central themes.