Here it is, short and sweet. Two more new reviews. More are on the way, of course.



The Squid and the Whale
Review by Jon Waterman

**1/2

What happens when a couple married with children stop being polite and start being real? You get “The Squid and the Whale,” a look at divorce from four familial angles all wrapped up into one hour and a half movie. Who maintains the most composure? Whose destructive streak wreaks the most havoc? Can they possibly pull some semblance of dignity and compromise out of their hat in order to make this thing work? Or is the bitterness and angst too much to overcome? Will it be funny as planned?

When it was first mentioned in the film that the two quarrelling parents were writers, I was hoping “The Squid and the Whale” referred to some metaphorical battle between two giant literary monsters: Moby Dick and the giant squid from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Sounds pretty good, right? Yeah, but that would require some subtlety on the part of writer/director Noah Baumbach, and I think he’d rather shove everything right in your face and make you eat it. Call me disappointed. Or Jon. Whichever.
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+++++++++++


Stories of Disenchantment
Review by Jon Waterman

1/2 star

Two friends, Diego and Ximena want to make a movie. While they’re searching for locations, they come across this seemingly abandoned locale that’s stuffed to the brim with intriguing art pieces and fun house-esque objects. When the owner comes home, the two are trapped inside and are forced to face the consequences (after watching her strip naked, of course). Lucky for them, Ainda is very nice about the whole thing and even invites them to a party. The two agree, but are unsure of her motives. After all, Ainda had wings growing out of her back…didn’t she?

Yeah. That’s just a hint of the absurdity that goes on in this movie. The storyline is all over the place and contains many random, surreal, and fantastical dream-like sequences. All of that sounds all well and good; after all, that’s why I loved “Journey Into Bliss.” However, “Stories” lacks the good-hearted, insanely fun atmosphere and instead adopts this unfounded melancholy, melodramatic pretentious demeanor. And it’s saying something that I ended up not liking this movie, because the opening sequence had me hooked.
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