The Squid and the Whale (2005) Reviews
- Starring:
- Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, (more)
- Director(s):
- Noah Baumbach
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Category:
- Independent Films, Drama
Member Rating
My RatingAverage Ratings
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful One kid pretends to be a literary genius without reading books. He claims a Pink Floyd song as his own. The other kid has some trouble leaving, um, "himself" alone, especially in public places. ... Read More One kid pretends to be a literary genius without reading books. He claims a Pink Floyd song as his own. The other kid has some trouble leaving, um, "himself" alone, especially in public places. Their father is a writer who is incredibly egotistical, and their mother is a long downtrodden wife who is more permissive than most. All of these family members together add up to a great examination of divorce subculture. It may be a little disturbing in parts, and others may make you cringe (how self-centered the men of the family are!), but this is a good film. Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful Great Movie, flawed characters dealing with real life and real feelings
A most see for anyone who enjoys experiencing the development of complex relationships
again, really interesting character ... Read More Great Movie, flawed characters dealing with real life and real feelings
A most see for anyone who enjoys experiencing the development of complex relationships
again, really interesting character struggles.. Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful Strange twisted self-absorbed parents who divorce ..and their strange children become twisted too. Kind of a drag but gutsy. Good performances.WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful I didn't even need to see the credits to see Wes Anderson-like trademark storytelling devices in this film. Sure enough, he was one of the producers. True to Anderson's style, Baumbach uses ... Read More I didn't even need to see the credits to see Wes Anderson-like trademark storytelling devices in this film. Sure enough, he was one of the producers. True to Anderson's style, Baumbach uses vulnerable characters from a dysfunctional family, throws in some pseudo-intellectual tidbits, painstakingly sets it in an 80's environment, and lets it spin round-and-round without ever really going anywhere or accomplishing anything. Call me a philistine, but I'm not a fan of anything he puts is hands on. Unless youre a Wes Anderson junkie, I wouldnt waste space in your queue on this one. It gets two and a half stars because it wasnt completely awful. It was just an unsatisfying entertainment experience. It just bugs me when the director forgets about ENTERAINING the audience while telling the story. Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful The title is based on an exibit and/or film in a museum that had significance to the eldest boys younger years. Why this qualifies as the title I'm not sure. Then again, the film ultimately went ... Read More The title is based on an exibit and/or film in a museum that had significance to the eldest boys younger years. Why this qualifies as the title I'm not sure. Then again, the film ultimately went nowhere, so what else can we call the film? On the positive side the film was very well acted and a frank (if not somewhat disturbing) character study. It unfortunately had no closure. Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful Wildly depressing movie with a story offering parents as pitiful role models. The foul language coming from these two young boys who resent the event in their life is just a little too much and the ... Read More Wildly depressing movie with a story offering parents as pitiful role models. The foul language coming from these two young boys who resent the event in their life is just a little too much and the 'don't give a damn' attitude from Linney and Daniel as the parents is pretty sad.
Don't bother - it's a downer. Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
2 out of 5 people found this review helpful I can see Nicolas's comparison to Bill Murrays latest movies, including Broken Flowers but then one has to enjoy those types of movies, which aren't for everyone, including myself. I found this movie ... Read More I can see Nicolas's comparison to Bill Murrays latest movies, including Broken Flowers but then one has to enjoy those types of movies, which aren't for everyone, including myself. I found this movie a realistic portrayal of a divorce in motion, but then the downside was there was little entertainment value in that. Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No | ||
0 out of 3 people found this review helpful This movie was awful! It had a disgusting side detail with the younger of the brothers that made me cringe with horror. Both boys have terrible mouths that make you feel dirty hearing them talk like ... Read More This movie was awful! It had a disgusting side detail with the younger of the brothers that made me cringe with horror. Both boys have terrible mouths that make you feel dirty hearing them talk like that at such a young age. The parents were a dysfunctional train wreck. I am so sick of wasting my time on these stupid types of movies. Close this Review WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL? Yes | No |
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