05/06/10
I had a memorable trip to the Cinema Center this past weekend for two reasons: 1) the film I saw, Jacques Audiard’s Un Prophete, was the best flick I’ve seen in months, and easily the best so far of 2010; 2) I spotted a poster in the lobby announcing that Noah Baumbach’s new film, Greenberg, opens at the Cinema Center this Friday, May 7. Joy. I love writer/director Noah Baumbach. I love him like you probably love Dave Matthews or Tom Hanks or Oprah or McDreamy or your first born. His movies and cool 80s Brooklyn dude hair make me feel complete. Every movie. Every hair. He does no wrong in my eyes.
Chances are you only kinda/sorta know Baumbach, if at all. You might know his 2005 film, The Squid and the Whale, and you might know his 1995 debut, Kicking and Screaming. And, even if you do, we’re going to pretend like you don’t. We’re going to pretend like you haven’t even seen the trailer for Greenberg yet. Why? Because we’re excited, Greenberg being one of ScreenTime’s most anticipated films of 2010. In anticipations, we’ve chosen to cover the man’s flexography this week.
Kicking and Screaming (1995): This cult comedy (not to be confused with the low-brow Will Ferrell film) put Baumbach on the map at age 26. Though very few people saw the film when it first came out (it only ever played on 26 screens), it was a hit with critics and saw much love from the Sundance Channel. The story is simple: four dudes graduate from college and don’t know how to get on with their lives. That’s about it. The film is much more about memorable dialogue than it is story or style. In fact, the filmmaking is weak and often ugly. The writing is top shelf. A+
Highball (1997): A minor work, Highball, along with Slacker and Mala Noche, helped influence the Mumblecore genre, feeling as if it was almost entirely improvised. Sure, there are some great cameos and dialogue, but what we take away is its influence. Without Highball we wouldn’t have better films like The Puffy Chair. Highball played on less than 10 screens when it was released. B-
Mr. Jealousy (1998): Baumbach’s second major production, Mr. Jealousy saw the director toying with a more ambitious storytelling style and a bigger cast and production than ever before. Like Kicking, Jealousy only played on a few screens (24) and made very little money; unlike Kicking, it wasn’t loved by all critics. The filmmaking, once again, can’t begin to keep up with the sharp writing. B+
The Squid and the Whale (2005): After befriending fellow NYC writer/director Wes Anderson (and then working on his Life Aquatic script), Baumbach asked Anderson to direct a script he’d been working on. Anderson supposedly agreed, but also begged Baumbach to direct the script himself. And so we have Squid, one of the funniest - and best - films of the naughts. Clocking in at a lean, mean 81 minutes, this 80s-set family dramedy is not only one of the best written films I’ve ever seen, but also a very well made movie, establishing Baumbach became a real filmmaker. His biggest film yet, having played on 151 screens and boxing over $7 million. A+
Margot at the Wedding (2007): People hate this movie; I love it. Yeah, it’s characters are somewhat mean spirited and shallow, but, hey, mean spirited and shallow people exist. I won’t say much more, aside from mentioning that the cinematography, editing and production style is about as good as art house films get. It’s not a surprise that Margot didn’t do so well at the box, considering it only played on 121 screens and featured people acting in a way that makes most of us uncomfortable. My opition? Pitch perfect. A-
Greenberg (2010): Despite having a wider release (186 screens thus far) and bigger star (Ben Stiller) than any of Baumbach’s other films, Greenberg isn’t doing so hot thus far, having only made about $4 million at the box office. Critics seem to love it (Roger Ebert gave it a score of 88, J. Hoberman an 80) and the trailer is nothing short of amazing. The story, like Kicking, is simple: a washed up former rocker moves from New York to L.A. to kill time, along the way probably learning something about himself and maybe meeting a girl. Mostly, we’re guessing, Greenberg is about the dialogue. And, if the trailer is any indication, the filmmaking is once again excellent. Cinematography by Harris Savides, known for his work on Gus Van Sant’s beautiful Death Trilogy, as well as David Fincher’s The Game and Zodiac and Ridley Scott’s American Gangster. Oh, and the film features an original soundtrack by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy. Very promising indeed. See you there!
Written by G. William Locke