Rent The Squid And The Whale
(2005)
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In his third feature, director Noah Baumbach scores a triumph with an autobiographical coming-of-age story about a teenager whose writer-parents are divorcing. The father (Jeff Daniels) and mother (Laura Linney) duke it out in half-civilized, half-savage fashion, while their two sons adapt in different ways, shifting allegiances between parents. The film is squirmy-funny and nakedly honest about the rationalisations and compensatory snobbisms of artistic failure as wellias the conflicted desires of adolescents for sex and status. In detailing bohemian-bourgeois life in brownstone Brooklyn, Baumbach is spot on; everyone proceeds from good intentions and acts rather badly, in spite or because of their manifest intelligence...
Members Reviews Voted Most Helpful
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You rated this movie: 4
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Reviewed by: Kurtz
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The Squid And The Whale review by Kurtz
(Un)happy families
(2) of (3) members found this review helpful.
An unflinching and at times darkly comic portrayal of the break-up of a family of American intellectuals, this is Laura Linney territory and she is excellent as ever as the wife who has outgrown her pompous loser of a husband. Jeff Daniels is brilliant in this role, creating an appallingly petty character full of bitterness over the absence of the literary success he feels he deserves, but still winning a few shreds of sympathy for the indignities he suffers. The kids are hapless bystanders in this conflict, but they are convincing too, especially Jesse Eisenberg’s “daddy clone”, who nails just the right combination of arrogance and insecurity. Just like in real life, no-one is completely at fault for the break-up, and no-one is completely innocent; the family just seem to have got to the end of their time together. Not a bundle of laughs, but beautifully done.
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You rated this movie: 4
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Reviewed by: Geek Pie
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The Squid And The Whale review by Geek Pie
Superb look at a civilised break up.
(1) of (1) members found this review helpful.
I loved every minute of 'The Squid And The Whale', the idea of creating a film around a family in which both parents are liberal minded intellectuals, who make the decision the break up in a very adult and civilised manner was very smart. And what adds to the film is the fact that the more the parents attempt to be civilised, the more unreasonable and destructive they actually become. And while the film is labelled as a comedy, it is far more subtle and dark than laugh out loud comedy, so if you're expecting laughs you're going to be disappointed, but of you enjoy small character based films them this is well worth a rental.
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You rated this movie: 1
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Reviewed by: WS
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The Squid And The Whale review by WS
Boring
(1) of (2) members found this review helpful.
This film had some good reviews. But I thought I was going to die of boredom when I watched it.
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Rated: 3.3 stars out of 5 from 167 ratings
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BFI Classification:
Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over
| Release Date: | 07/08/2006 |
| Production Year: | 2005 |
| Run Time: | 77 minutes |
| Aspect Ratio: | Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Format: | Pal |
| Colour: | Colour |
Special Features:
- Audio Commentaries
- Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
- Interview with director Noah Baumbach and writer Phillip Lopate
