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(1 - 38) of 38 OFCS Rating: 92% Fresh Page   1   "Like the diorama in New York's Museum of Natural History from which the film's title is derived, The Squid And The Whale depicts deep-seated conflict in a manner that is at once exquisitely lifelike and mesmerisingly awful to look at."   Eye for Film   Anton Bitel 8/10 "Baumbach’s real achievement is his deft ability to balance the emotional brutality of joint custody with the natural humor of domestic life."   Freeze Dried Movies   Brian Juergens 4/5 "about three-fourths of one of the greatest films you will ever see"   Filmcritic.com   Chris Barsanti "Though it's clear where Walt gets such ideas, it's painful to watch him implement them."   PopMatters   Cynthia Fuchs 2.5/4 "...would be just as effective on home video as on the big screen..."   Reel Film Reviews   David Nusair A "In its tragicomic presentation strikes a true note."   Ozus' World Movie Reviews   Dennis Schwartz 3/4 "If they can bear to see their son cursing like a sailor, drinking up a storm, and masturbating like a fanatic, Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates have a lot to be proud of."   TheMovieBoy.com   Dustin Putman 4/5 "Un retrato honesto y revelador de la descomposición de un matrimonio, visto desde la perspectiva de los hijos adolescentes."   Uruguay Total   Enrique Buchichio B- "This film thinks it has more to say than it actually does. Ignoring its pretensions, however, it's a solid, quirky piece of work."   EricDSnider.com   Eric D. Snider 3.5/4 "In Baumbach’s compelling coming-of-age portrait of stark domesticity, The Squid and the Whale is ruthlessly savvy as an introspective showcase of self-reflection"   Movie Eye   Frank Ochieng B+ "A literate, sharply observed film that juggles tragic and comedic elements to achieve a wonderfully distinctive tone."   One Guy's Opinion   Frank Swietek 5/5 "An open house that allows us to enter and freely share in the emotional upheavals of all the characters in this dysfunctional family."   Spirituality and Practice   Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat 4/4 "Relentless in its condemnation of childish parenting and irresponsibility, Noah Baumbach's uncomfortable The Squid and the Whale ranks as one of 2005's best films by pulling no punches whatsoever."   eCinemaCenter.com   Gabe Leibowitz 3/4 "The foundation of any good family drama is interesting characters, and The Squid and the Whale is replete with them"   ReelViews   James Berardinelli '3.5/4' "The collapse of this nuclear family is peppered with wry humor that nevertheless rubs raw."   Palo Alto Weekly   Jeanne Aufmuth 9/10 "A biting comedy emerges from the truths in the characters' confused actions, brought brilliantly to life by each of the actors."   Window to the Movies   Jeffrey Chen "Baumbach is one of the most literate of the younger directors, and this comes through in his smart dialogue ... and his films’ unformulaic structure."   Pajiba   Jeremy C. Fox 7/10 "Maybe it's just me, but a big yuck to the affair between Daniels' character and one played by Anna Paquin. You might remember them playing father and daughter 10 years ago in Fly Away Home."   Planet Sick-Boy   Jon Popick 9/10 "...Baumbach's most emotionally potent and visually coherent film to date."   All Movie Guide   Josh Ralske '3.5/5' "[Jeff Daniels] and the rest of the cast play their roles with uncommon ease."   Film-Forward.com   Kent Turner A- "Writing it must have been like giving oneself a root canal on laughing gas...as Bernard would say, 'it's dense.' "   Reeling Reviews   Laura Clifford "In charting the effects of a divorce on the two adolescent sons of literary parents, Baumbach revisits the time, place, and events of his young adulthood in a manner that is at once sentimental and a little sneering."   Not Coming to a Theater Near You   Leo Goldsmith 2/4 "A fundamentally unrewarding story."   TV Guide's Movie Guide   Maitland McDonagh B "A deeply personal and unsparing film, The Squid and the Whale finds humor in the heartache and harpoons the notion that divorce has no casualties."   Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema   Mark Pfeiffer 4/10 "Not much subtlety here. While the film is billed as a comedy and a drama, this story of a childish father spoiling the lives of his family is not a laughing matter."   rec.arts.movies.reviews   Mark R. Leeper 3/4 "A good movie held together in a web of repulsions; a great observation of human behavior"   Movie Habit   Marty Mapes 3.5/5 "There's no Oscar-bait speech where the hero reveals his hidden depths, no happy ending, just the loose ends and ambiguities of real life and real relationships."   Goatdog's Movies   Michael W. Phillips, Jr. B+ "The acid exchanges and inconvenient longings of a dissolving marriage, the exquisite agony of those first flutterings of love and those first earthquakes of lust."   Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies   Nell Minow 3.5/4 "Baumbach's film substitutes Wes Anderson's ironic preciousness for a more blunt confrontation of its characters' mixed-up, distraught emotions."   Slant Magazine   Nick Schager 4/5 "Baumbach crams an impressive amount of characterization and humor into 82 minutes."   Film Threat   Pete Vonder Haar 4/5 "A complex, bristling film that resonates on many levels without ever overstating its case."   Shadows on the Wall   Rich Cline B+ "An insightful, unblinking, bittersweet and funny portrait of a family in the process of a bitter divorce."   Laramie Movie Scope   Robert Roten B+ "The Squid and the Whale has a rock solid script with great dialogue and full-bodied characters. Better still, the film has a cast that is top-notch across the board."   Reeling Reviews   Robin Clifford 3/4 "A downer of a comedy, but one that brings out remarkable performances."   Charlotte Weekly   Sean O'Connell "Has so much going for it -- including intelligent performances that mesh beautifully, and a keen understanding of how seemingly small moments can rattle the foundations of families -- that you walk away from it feeling it should add up to more."   Salon.com   Stephanie Zacharek 3.5/4 "The Squid and the Whale represents Baumbach's own coming-of-age as a gifted filmmaker. Put it on your must-see list."   Reel.com   Timothy Knight 4/4 "A scabrous ode to the unmanageable muddle of interpersonal relationships."   Film Freak Central   Walter Chaw "Click here to see review"   Wolf Entertainment Guide   William Wolf  (1 - 38) of 38 OFCS Rating: 92% Fresh Page   1