The problem with real life is that, while it can make for excellent stories, it rarely ever can fit into a movie with a sound structure. This is why (nearly) every film based off a true story takes plenty of liberties to make it more like a movie, and as a result hardly any of the truth remains; otherwise the movie would probably look a little weird and not flow. The Squid and the Whale is based off of Noah Baumbach’s adolescence as his parents went though divorce. I have no idea how much of this movie is taken directly from his life, but all of it feels entirely realistic. Perhaps that's a bad thing, it is rare to see movies these days feel and look so brutally honest, but for me, I wouldn't prefer this movie any other way.


The Squid and the Whale is about Walt Berkman and his younger brother Frank as their parents, Bernard and Joan go through a divorce. That’s the plot summed up, the story goes through the journey of these characters. Walt as he gets a girlfriend and then gets infatuated by another women, Lily, a student of Bernard’s, who moves in with them. Frank as he deals with puberty, and Bernard and Joan as they try to get on with their lives. Joan moves onto her children’s tennis instructor, Ivan. The divorce is a rather bitter one and Walt chooses to side with Bernard as he feels that he is in the right, Frank sides with Joan.

The plot is not huge or intricate, but rather uses simplicity to tell a story. The feel of the film is very low budget and looks like a documentary, but that's only because it looks so realistic. You almost forget there are cameras there. The shots are simple, nothing even close to elaborate is seen here, it is simple film making at its best. This is not a film that tries to dazzle us with special effects or a twist ending, instead it just tells us a heartfelt story with great performances.

Jeff Daniels who may be well known for his classic comedy role in Dumb and Dumber proves to be a great dramatic actor here. He practically steals every scene he is in, making us hate and despise his character but ultimately want to keep watching him. Jessie Eisenberg who has been somewhat typecast in shy awkward comedic roles (Adventureland Zombieland) and while he is a bit awkward here, he is much more confident with himself as he tries to emulate his father. Laura Linney is a wonderful dramatic actress, and while she doesn't get as much screen time as the others, her performance is incredibly powerful. Owen Kline is Frank, the youngest member of the family. Good child actors are a rarity, but Owen Kline easily holds his own here, and does a great job. These four principal cast members are in the film pretty much the whole time. Anna Paquin shows up for a bit providing some conflict, and William Baldman has a nice role as Ivan, providing the film some comic relief.

Noah Baumbach, went on to co-write The Life Aquatic and the upcoming Fantastic Mr. Fox, writes this film in such an impressive way. It has a lot of dead pan type moments, like in Life Aquatic, but is very involving and personal, something that is not easy to convey on screen. The Squid and the Whale is impressively low budget, nothing elaborate is seen here. Just very simple shots and locations, it just proves that you don't need a lot of money or explosions to make a good movie. Just a solid script (and having good actors wouldn’t hurt either).

The Squid and the Whale is in an interesting film, there is literally no commercial angle or political views. It doesn’t seem like it would exactly be the most entertaining movie, and while it's not, it still provides for excellent entertainment and drama. The scenes are intense, arguments are bitter, and a lot of personal feelings are expressed. At the same time, it manages to get humor out in unlikely situations, and at 81 minutes, it is a very short film that captures more emotion than any 3 hour romantic epic could do.  Some could argue that The Squid and the Whale contains a lot of Wes Anderson similarities, and while he did produce it, so there are some things that resemble an Anderson movie, I think Noah Baumbach is able to create a style of his own. If you missed it, this was easily one of the best films of 2005 and perhaps the best divorce movie ever made. It's personal, has amazing dialogue and performances, and has a little oddness for good measure. Defiantly one of my favorite films.

5 Stars

Cast Jeff Daniels - Bernard Berkman
Laura Linney - Joan Berkman
Jessie Eisenberg - Walt Berkman
Owen Kline - Frank Berkman


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older