The Squid And The Whale - Movie No. 17

The Squid and the Whale

Director: Noah Baumbach

Starring: Owen Kline, Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney

Year: 2005

Watched: 15/1/11

What the fudge is it?

The story of a more than slightly dysfunctional family as they are pulled apart by divorce. Bernard is a bitter novelist turned teacher, his wife Joan is an up and coming writer who has been unfaithful. As their marriage begins to fall apart their children forge new relationships with their parents. And a Baldwin plays tennis.

What i thought...

It was only after watching the film that i found out that the story is based on the childhood experiences of Noah Baumbach.

The Berkman family are messed up enough without having a divorce to deal with. Bernard played by Jeff Daniels is an intellectual and once published author turned teacher. We quickly learn that Bernard has a twisted and cynical view on the world and refers to people who don't read books or watch films as philistines which i hope i have the spelling right for. Daniels plays the character brilliantly and he is just a total jerk. There is no other way to put it, his bitterness and jealously grows as the film progresses but somehow you still feel a little sorry for him. He is an angry and pompous man who deep down believes he is always right. The only future for a man like this is alone and angry with the world. Jeff Daniels performance is fantastic and it only topped by Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline as his two sons.

With their parents divorced the kids times is spent between nights with their farther and mother. Walt the older of the two begins to side with his farther while Frank gravitates towards his mother. The two deal with the divorce situation in their own separate ways.

Walt believes that the sun does indeed shine out of his fathers bitter butt hole. instead of actually being intelligent and well read he tries his best to just appear that way to women. In one fantastic and cringe worthy scene he describe the metamorphosis as being very Kafkaesque before the girl he is trying to impress puts him in his place by saying that Karka wrote it. Walt is definitely his fathers son and his desire to be recognized as an intellectual/artist result in him making a total ass of himself several times. Eisenberg does a great job of playing the socially awkward teen and in the scenes with him and Daniels you genuinely believe his adoration for his father.

Frank the younger son sides more with his mother and her influence on him is also very apparent. Joan who is excellent played by Laura Linney is very open with the two about her sexual exploits and we get the impression she is a bit free spirited and hippylike. Its true that Frank along with the tennis playing Baldwin deliver most of the comic relief but the younger wanker also has some of the saddest scenes in the film. I call him a wanker as the divorce hits him at a bad age. He discovers alcohol and masturbation resulting in several scenes which are humorous but equally heartbreaking to watch. Frank decides to masturbate and spread his semen around the school library and lockers. His pass times also include getting hammered on his own and having angry outbursts while playing sports. Owen Kline is brilliant as Frank and i really felt for the little dude even if he was spreading his love seed everywhere.

To call it a lovely film would probably sound wrong but i just really enjoyed it. Everyone in it was great and although slightly sad in places its dark humour and great performance kept me watching from start to finish. Not really about the the end output as that seems inevitably but more about the journey the family take through the whole semen covered adventure.

Overall

Funny, sad and sometime just incredible awkward to watch. Jeff Daniels is fantastic but even his performance is overshadowed by Owen Kline as his youngest son. Quirky and funny without playing down the effects of divorce. Definitely worth a watch but probably avoid as a date movie unless your trying to give him or her a hint/glimpse of what could happen if it all goes wrong.

4/5