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The Squid and the Whale (2005)

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All reviews for The Squid and the Whale

THE VICIOUS KIND. Sundance 2009 ...
by Karina in Karina on SpoutBlog

liked it.

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"The Vicious Kind, a love triangle drama starring Adam Scott and Brittany Snow, directed by Lee Toland Krieger and executive produced by Neil LaBute, is described in the always remarkable Sundance catalogue as “a glimpse into the soul of a damaged man whose obstinate defense mechanisms are laid bare by his fractured relationships.” We subjected Krieger to the 4 Questions We Ask Everyone, and he divulged about his unusual choice of film stock and taking cues from Cassavetes, and twice implied seething hatred for Paris Hilton. Tell us about your movie: who did you work with, what did you shoot on, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, “It’s like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!” pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out. My film is called The Vicious Kind and it stars Adam Scott, Brittany Snow, Alex Frost and JK Simmons. We shot the film on 35mm—Kodak’s Vision 1, specifically. It’s something I very proud of. Maybe ... " [More]

THE VICIOUS KIND. Sundance 2009 ...
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

10 Best Masturbation Scenes
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

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"Andrew Sarris may be one of the most influential American film critics, but here’s a claim, located within his recent review of In Search of a Midnight Kiss, that may not hold up to some of his better-remembered theories: “Even when we confront 40-year-old virgins of either gender, movies refuse to show them compensating for the lack of a sexual partner. There is lasting shame involved in this spectacle.” Not to ever, ever profess superiority over Sarris, but I’ve nonetheless compiled today’s list as a way of proving the man wrong. There are actually tons and tons of masturbation scenes found in non-porn movies, from the low brow to the high brow, from as indirect as the boy wizard playing with his wand under the covers in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to as direct as the non-simulated masturbation in Michael Winterbottom’s 9 Songs and John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus (which would probably feature my #1 pick, from the sound of it, if I ev " [More]

The Conflicts of the Squid and ...
by pippin06 in Reel Thoughts

liked it.

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"Returning to the string of indie flicks I've been immersed in these last few weeks, Netflix sent me The Squid and the Whale this week. As much as I love film, and even indies, I know so little about these films because they tend to fly under the radar (unless your radar is honed in on them, and mine typically is not). Apparently, this film had some buzz surrounding it at the time of its release, but I didn't hear any of it. I was simply interested in the story, and, thusly, I rented it. And I enjoyed it. It wasn't a perfect film, but it was a very good film in many of my estimations. In Brooklyn, in 1986, Bernard (Jeff Daniels) and Joan (Laura Linney) are two writers in a rapidly failing marriage. Bernard's career as a novelist has taken a turn south, while Joan's career is blossoming. In addition, there have been some indiscretions on both parts, including a string of affairs undertaken by Joan. Caught in the crossfire are their two sons, Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) and Frank ( ... " [More]

Lower Your Shields
by Tenenbaums in Tenenbaums Blog

is neutral about it.

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"Far from the painful experience that I envisioned, Margot at the Wedding is not a film that I would recommend, but it pretty much worked for me. After writer/director Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale got me all hyped up (Wes Anderson production! Co-writer of The Life Aquatic! Great cast! Funny trailer!) and then fed me an overdose of unnecessarily uncomfortable preteen sexual moments, my shields were raised to maximum levels for his follow-up feature. But, as I did with the strong parts of Squid, I laughed a good bit at Margot's strong start. And then the laughs and engaging moments kept coming. That's not to say there is a lack of the squeamish. An early scene during Margot's (Nicole Kidman) first night at her sister's (Jennifer Jason Leigh) house ranks right up with Frank's forays into beer and self-stimulation in Squid. Fortunately, that's as far as Baumbach ventures this time, though it seems that Malcolm's (Jack Black) breakdown is intended to elicit the same dis ... " [More]

The Squid and the Whale (2005)
by JJ79 in JJ79 Blog

hasn't rated it.

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"Released: January 2005 (Sundance)Director: Noah Baumbach*****A great movie stars a villain you love to hate, someone who needs to be stopped at all costs. Someone to actively root against. There is a fine line between a hated villain and a character the audience truly despises. Such is the case in The Squid and the Whale. In the opening moments of the film about a divorced family, father Bernard debrates his wife Joan while playing tennis with their boys. The older one-Walt-idolizes his father, thinking the source of the family dysfunction is Joan; the younger child, Frank, sides with Mom, along with discovering alcohol and self stimulation. As their lives become more complex with live-in students and tennis coaches, they all realize things about themselves they'd rather not think about.The more Bernard acts as if he's better than everyone else, the more Joan's indiscretions don't matter to the audience-just as they should not matter to the kids. His problem is most likely a ... " [More]

Good Movie
by Smooth_J in Smooth_J Blog

liked it.

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"I remember hearing about this movie back when it came out, and I was really curious as to what all the buzz was about. The story sounded good, and Noah Baumbach is a good friend of Wes Anderson, who I really like, and who was also a producer on the film. So, I've always meant to see it, and when I saw it on sale for 4 dollars at Blockbuster, I had to get it.All in all, The Squid and the Whale was a really good film. The performances are great, even Jeff Daniels doing an all out Bill Murray impersonation (not surprisingly, Bill Murray was previously signed on to that role before dropping out to do Broken Flowers). Laura Linney is amazing as usual, and both of the kids give extremely realistic and emotional performances. And Billy Baldwin is hilarious, as a contemporary-hippie tennis instructor.Baumbach analyzes very well the stuck-up nature of New York City writers. Jeff Daniels' character is an "intellectual" and scorns people who do not like good movies or ... " [More]

Trailer of the Day: Smart People
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

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"If you were even slightly irritated by Ellen Page’s too-precocious performance in Juno, then you might want to avoid the trailer for Noam Murro’s Smart People. In the movie, which screened at Sundance last week, Page plays yet another teen who seems too smart for her own good. In fact, it is obvious that the trailer is trying to make this character appear similar to her Oscar-nominated role. Now, I’m not one of the many Juno haters, and I think Page has talent, but doesn’t it take away from her performance in Juno to show us that she’s doing the exact same thing in her follow-up? Never mind the fact that Smart People seems like The Squid and the Whale meets The Ballad of Jack and Rose — I’ve heard that it is pretty funny and smart despite its familiar territories — I’m more turned off by the fact that i " [More]

FilmCouch #19
by paul in paul on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

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"Paul and Kevin go to NY without ever leaving the office. Karina Longworth gives us the down low on the Tribeca Film Festival (check out her posts here). Interviews with Jesse Eisenberg (Roger Dodger, The Squid and the Whale) and Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) on Durst’s feature debut, The Education of Charlie Banks. Zak Penn, The Grand, talks about the comedy duo Gabe Kaplan (Welcome Back Cotter) and Werner Herzog (Fitzcarraldo). A new interview with Julia Loktev on Day Night Day Night, her film opens tonight in theaters. Download FilmCouch #19 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday.

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"I first saw Margot at the Wedding, Noah Baumbach’s follow-up to The Squid and the Whale, in September at Telluride. I generally disliked it, but I vowed to see it again at the New York Film Festival and, if my opinion had changed, update my original review. If anything, the second viewing solidified many of my initial, negative feelings about the movie, but I did gain deeper respect for the performances, particularly that of Nicole Kidman, who creates a magnificent villain with a vivid backstory, despite the fact that Baumbach gives her very little to work towards. I’ve updated my review to include some thoughts based on a second viewing; you’ll find the old version here, and the new version after the jump. (more…)

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