Cinecast #54: Divorce, New Yorker Style
The Squid and the Whale: Indulgent, absent a true protagonist, and maybe even a little condescending to its intended highbrow audience, Noah Baumbach's semi-autobiographical new film is also remarkably detailed, frequently hilarious, and almost impeccably acted. (Sorry Laura Linney, you were, um, less than impeccable). Adam was slightly less effusive in his praise than Sam, but both agree that Baumbach and especially Jeff Daniels as the pretentious patriarch earn all of the praise critics seem to be heaping on them.
Also on the show, Listener Feedback (You Can't Handle The Suck Edition), Massacre Theatre (Dysfunctional Acting Edition), and a look ahead to our Top 5 Dysfunctional Families (Chicken Salad Sandwich, Toasted, Edition).
Massacre Theatre presented by Elemental-Gear ... Music by Dan Bern courtesy of Messenger Records ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.
Cinecast #54
:35-17:20 - Review: "The Squid and the Whale"
Music: Dan Bern, "After the Parade"
18:23-22:25 - "Squid and the Whale" cont.
22:26-27:40 - Cinecast Notes
27:41-33:54 - Listener Feedback (Jarhead, Top 5 War Movies)
Music: Dan Bern, "New American Language"
35:34-37:44 - Massacre Theatre
37:45-43:33 - Top 5 Dysfunctional Families
Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.
4 Comments:
About Netflix friends: While it may aid for educated guesses about what will be in your top 5s, the 5 star ratings don't supply the proper granularity to be entirely certain. Further, there is no effective way to search for movies meeting the criteria for the overwhelming majority of your top 5s (save genre based ones). Beyond that, the simple star rating doesn't give any inight into why you picked that movie (which is really the reason that most people tune in, because let's face it, some of your choices are very uninspired, but the analysis has staying power). I seriously hope you reconsider and let one and all become your Netflix friends.
About not reviewing Harry Potter: Not reviewing them because you haven't watched all the movies or read the books doesn't detract from a review, rather it gives a different perspective. It might even be a better perspective because the review is of the movie as a standalone rather than as part of a series. They also stand by themselves extremely well (or perhaps they don't, something you could comment upon).
Insert obligatory encouragement here.
An Indian friend of mine was telling me he had this hige interest in robotics, and was doing a Master's degree in it. 'You're like the guy from Short Circuit!' I said. It turns out he worships that film using it as a sort of guiding path for his own career.
Love the podcast! Love it! Love it! Love!
One thought about something Sam said about The Squid and the Whale. I don't think that Walt's comment about the freckles was simply an example of those random conversational missteps that happen in real life. Everyone in Walt’s family is painfully unaware how their words affect others, and this is just one more example of it. Isn’t this a theme of the film? You have a hyper-literate family that literally lives off of words—both parents make their living selling words, and Walt wants to live in the world of words too. And yet no one in the family seems to understand the real power of words—and how they can hurt. So the mom tells her kids about cheating on her husband, not understanding that these words will hurt them. And Walt tells his girlfriend that he doesn’t like her freckles, not understanding how these words will hurt her.
(Also, watch Noah Baumbach's Highball if you have a chance. I think he's disowned the film, but it's very funny)
I don't recall Sam making that comment as a general statement -- that a conversational misstep like the freckles comment could happen to anyone. I think Sam and I would both say that such a comment could only come from a kid like Walt, who, just like his parents, says everything that comes to his mind without any regard for how others might respond to it.
Post a Comment
<< Home