I liked this film. It had a tender nostalgic feel to it, and I'm feeling pretty susceptible to nostalgia at the moment. I liked the quirkiness of the characters, and how they interacted. It wasn't laugh-out-loud funny, but it made me crack a few smiles here and there.
I like these coming-of-age tales, because they seem applicable to any time of life (as far as I can see). I also enjoyed the romantic plot – reminded me a bit of Before Sunrise etc.
Some of it felt a bit technically ropey, and the acting wasn't as good as it could've been. At times there were definitely audio issues, and characters talking over one another.
As things stand, I think The Squid and the Whale is still my favourite Baumbach film I've seen. There's something attractive about the dialogue and characterisation in all of his films. They're films about real people – even if they're sometimes idiots, they're real idiots. 7/10
