Movie of the Week - The Squid and the Whale

This week’s movie is The Squid and the Whale (2005).

The film is about two young boys dealing with their parents’ divorce. The film takes place in Brooklyn in the 1980’s and is based on the childhood experience of director Noah Baumbach and his brother. The film was produced by Wes Anderson and has the same wit and feel to it as his films, but also feels separate as Baumbach’s piece and voice. Contributing to the Wes Anderson feel is the use of his D.P. Robert Yeoman. Anne Ross (who worked on Lost in Translation) does a great job with her production design to set the mood and environment for the characters. The film stars a great Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline, Laura Linney, Jeff Daniels (who is brilliant in it), and William Baldwin and Anna Paquin in supporting roles. What makes the film great is the dialog that Baumbach gives his characters – their banter is hilarious and witty – and the situations that the characters find themselves in, they feel both absurd and very real simultaneously. Check out the trailer.