I went to see the film The Squid and the Whale, one of those little-known, indie films that I like so much. I have to say it didn't do much for me. I went to see it for two reasons: First, because the film itself has been getting a lot of good reviews and second, because Jeff Daniels has been getting good reviews and has generated some Oscar buzz for his role as a self-absorbed father.
The film did have some nice moments and some unexpected parts. I always admire a movie that I cannot predict the outcome or know what's going to happen next. If I had ever talked to my parents the way the two kids in the film talk to their parents, I wouldn't be sitting here writing this. In one scene the younger kid, Frank, tells his mother, "I think you're ugly." She casually and calmly replies, "What would make you say such a thing?" In another scene the same kid tells his dad, after losing a game of ping pong, to suck one of his body parts. Hello!!! There is such a thing as corporal punishment and my parents would have used it in both of those situations. What's more, the younger kid has a habit of spreading one of his bodily fluids around the school; once in the library on a shelf of books and another time on someone's locker.
The whole family is messed up. The film is based on the childhood experiences of director Noah Baumbach and his brother but, honestly, I had a hard time getting into it. As for Daniels, sure he's good at playing a heel, but I don't see an Oscar nom. And the adult males in the movie look shabby. I kept wishing Jeff Daniels would shave off his feral beard; and I wanted to cut and style William Baldwin's hair. As for the ending, it was very unsatisfying.

paul