I made burgers that time you had pneumonia.

Last week a friend and I decided to watch The Squid and the Whale. I knew basically nothing about the movie, but the title sounded familiar so I decided to rent it. Noah Baumbach was the writer and director of this film. He also co-wrote The Life Aquatic with Wes Anderson.

Noah Baumbach, the writer and director of this film, took an experience from his adolescence and brought it back to life through this film. The plot is pretty simple. It takes place in the 1980’s in a Brooklyn neighborhood. Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels play two parents who are going through marital difficulties. Linney plays Joan Berkman, the guilty and confused mother who has been unfaithful to her husband. Her guilt for these actions is noticeable and it seems to affect the way she raises her children. Daniels plays Bernard Berkman, a very shameless writer who is just one of those people who lets everyone know he thinks he’s smarter than them. He plays an exceedingly dislikable character, while Linney plays a character that viewers are able to feel more sympathy for. Her character seems to be happier and more wholehearted, whereas her husband remains drearily affected by his failure. Not too long after the movie begins, they decide to get a divorce.

The effects on their two sons are immediately recognizable. The eldest son, Walt, becomes an ally with his father. He mimics many of his father’s qualities, including the incredibly annoying trait of acting like a know-it-all. He also seems to use his father’s opinions on many subjects. This is also annoying because viewers are able to see his father say something and then, lo and behold, a few scenes later Walt recites his fathers words verbatim. Walt portrayed an adolescent Noah Baumbach. The effects on the youngest son, Frank, are very awkward. I had a hard time understanding what drove him to do the gross/weird things he did. He developed cursing problem, discovers alcohol, and develops a pretty odd habit which I don’t think I can talk about on this blog. Keep in mind he’s no older than twelve.

I thought this was a very interesting movie. The acting was awesome, especially for the kids. Linney and Daniels did really well too. Baumbach made sure to add in random little quirks and seemingly unimportant things his parents did. I felt that this made the movie more believable and life-like. Oh yes, also… I really liked how he tied the title into the movie. All in all, it was great. Check it out.

Liz