The Squid and The Whale 2005

After directing three initial films, Noah Baumbach got a hit with a story set in Brooklyn in the 1980's that attracted critical attention. When the independent American cinema seemed bound to the relentless repetition of the 90’s model via Sundance (with better or worse results) Baumbach created a film that reworked all that immediate legacy to create a narrative with autobiographical colors, in turn, he produced a film with another type legacy much more important and profound;  than the one  left by those intellectuals who, after the counterculture, settled in their bourgeois armchairs without having closed the wounds that were left open. And so, “The Squid and the Whale” is so much a comedy about keeping the wound open of a broken family in which children assume adult roles, parents misbehave it also a look into different kinds of love, first love, adult love, lovers, etc.

“The Squid and the Whale” is based on the real experiences of the film's director, Noah Baumbach and his brother.  Jesse Eisenberg ('The social network') and Owen Kline ('The Anniversary Party') embody the Berkman brothers and actors Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney bring the Berkman marriage to life. The drama won an Oscar nomination, in 2006, in the Best Screenplay category, as well as my other awards.

Set in Brooklyn in 1986, “The Squid and the Whale” reflects the daily life of the Berkman family. Bernard and Joan will separate. His two sons, Walt, 16, and Frank, 12, each put on behalf of one of their parents. It might seem that the older son’s age makes him understand his father a little better, while admiring and envying him at the same time; at the same time the younger boy prefers to remain protected by his mother. But story keeps evolving and the personalities of the two kids change as they realize that everything has nuances.

Perhaps that is the greatest merit of the film: to present the situation and the characters with their nuances and flaws, without saying that things are white or black, without presenting good or bad. Like the children, it is difficult for the film to put itself on the side of one of the two members of the marriage.

These flaws make the characters multidimensional and well created, therefore, character identification occurs and we are interested in following the plot to see what happens to them. The dialogues are well written, witty, funny sometimes sarcastic and move away from the topic in which they could easily fall. Also in those flaws and nuances set the tone of the film, another success. It is neither melodrama nor comedy; it operates within the difficult balance of dramatic comedy or bittersweet drama. The best example of one of the protagonist’s flaws is the husband’s reaction, Bernard, to the achievements of his wife as a writer. He has been her mentor and now she can't stand to be the one who succeeds, precisely at the time when her success is in about to occur. Although this way of behaving could put us against him, the rejection towards the character is not total, but rather human understanding occurs. Running the risk of being branded as a feminist if I would say that it is a very expected male attitude, because of the masculine ego, but that is what the film shows in a very human way. This rivalry seems to be the straw that fills the glass, but the marriage had long been on the rocks, since fidelity was not the strength of either.

The way the point of view is presented is yet another great merit of the film. Get us to consider the vision of the two adults and get us to understand the attitudes of both, despite having shown us the aforementioned character flaws. He even gets us to understand the attitude of both children. The risk of putting ourselves in the shoes of these young kids would be to fall victim of the anti-divorce pamphlet, but the film moves away from it with mastery, showing us that separation is something that had to happen, that a forced continuation of a marriage would do anyone good.

Noah Baumbach was the director of 'Kicking and Screaming' (1995), 'Highball' (1997) and 'Mr. Jealousy '(1997). The producer and promoter of the idea is the now legendary Wes Anderson, director of series of amazing and successful films. The protagonists are Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney, William Baldwin and Anna Paquin. The children are played by Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline.

In conclusion: “The Squid and the Whale” has many merits and is a good film; it has been nominated and won several awards: It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay,  the Golden Globe for Best Film, the Golden Globe for Best Actress (Laura Linney),  the Golden Globe for Best Actor (Jeff Daniels). At the Las Palmas International Film Festival, Laura Linney was chosen as the best actor. Other awards it has accumulated are: Best Film 2005: New York Online Film Critics. Best Screenplay 2005: Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Best Screenplay 2005: National Board of Review. Best Screenplay 2005: National Society of Film Critics. Best Screenplay 2005: Toronto Film Critics Association. Best Screenplay 2005: New York Film Critics Association. 6 nominations for the Independent Spirit Award: Including the Best Film. Best Director: Sundance Film Festival 2005. Waldo Salt Award for Best Screenplay: Sundance Film Festival 2005. Official Selection: New York Film Festival 2005. Official Selection: Toronto International Film Festival 2005.