Director Noah Baumbach’s autobiographical film is a strikingly realistic take on divorce and the turmoil it sets on an already-dysfunctional family. Bernard (Jeff Daniels) is a selfish decadent writer who’s splitting with his unfaithful wife Joan (Laura Linney). Their two sons, Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) and Frank (Owen Kline), are taking different sides that reflect their personality. This separation only reinforces their insecurities as they quickly fall into depression and grow away from their friends. The parents, however, find unconventional lovers just as quickly, Bernard with a student of his, and Jane with her son’s tennis coach. The Squid and the Whale is a funny, emotional, and gripping story that finds a perfect balance in tone despite dealing with bitter divorce and troubled adolescence.
"It's a small miracle."
— David Denby
"A film this fully realized, with such a personal and sharply focused eye for the telling details of human behavior -- unsparing but not unforgiving -- is a rarity to be prized."
— Jim Emerson
Based on the true childhood experiences of Noah Baumbach and his brother, The Squid and the Whale tells the touching story of two young boys dealing with their parents' divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s.
Other
1 nomination
This movie made me feel very uncomfortable. The family dynamic is just… Unheard of.
This movie is definitely meant to make you feel uncomfortable and to think. Even though it´s said in this page it´s a movie to watch alone (which I can understand because, as I said before, it´s extremely uncomfortable) It´s great to discuss it with somebody because it makes you think a lot.
This movie is all things that can go wrong but still it is grounded in reality.