The Squid and the Whale

Right off the bat, it’s clear that filmmaker Noah Baumbach’s collaboration with Wes Anderson (the two co-wrote last year’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) has had absolutely no impact on his low-key sense of style. Baumbach imbues The Squid and the Whale with a jittery, documentary-esque vibe that admittedly suits his screenplay quite well, but will undoubtedly disappoint viewers hoping for an ultra-stylized, Anderson-like take on the material. The movie revolves around the crumbling Berkman family; Bernard (Jeff Daniels) and Joan (Laura Linney) are undergoing a tumultuous divorce, leaving sons Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) and Frank (Owen Kline) with no choice but to attempt to cope in certain less-than-savory ways. Baumbach packs The Squid and the Whale with overly clever dialogue that’s not terribly funny, effectively transforming the majority of these characters into unpleasant jerks (something that’s especially true of Eisenberg’s Walt). Having said that, there’s no denying that the film improves as it progresses; Baumbach’s steady focus on the exploits of the Berkman clan ensures that, despite their outwardly disagreeable attributes, they eventually become figures worth caring about. It doesn’t hurt that the film is exceedingly well acted, with Daniels and Linney delivering expectedly effective performances (even supporting player William Baldwin does a nice job with his small role). But the bottom line is that The Squid and the Whale just doesn’t have enough going for it to warrant a hearty recommendation, and it seems clear that the film would be just as effective on home video as on the big screen (there’s nothing terribly cinematic about Baumbach’s directorial choices).

**1/2 out of ****