Noah Baumbach: Almost Always Almost There

When certain writers develop a trend it can either be a good or bad thing. Either way, it makes them appear as though they have a 'type.' Noah Baumbach, whose film credits include The Squid and the Whale, Margot at the Wedding, Kicking and Screaming (1995, not the terrible Will Ferrell one), and The Life Aquatic (as writer), seems to be one of those 'type' writers. His type? It seems to be self-destructive characters.

Self-destructive characters, for me, are some of the most interesting to watch. The characters make choices that I (almost) never would, yet I understand why they do, and know that for them, it's not a choice at all.

Three of his films will be used as examples. Though, all of them are great, but two of them have small idiosyncrasies that keep them from rising above just a 'movie.'

The Squid and the Whale is about a lot of things, but the core of the story is that a high school kid named Walt is dealing with his parents' divorce and the conflicting pressure they both put on him to read more, recite their opinions, and do what they want. Walt leans more towards hid dad's view, which is pessimistic, and Walt's younger brother Frank leans towards his mom's view, which seems optimistic. Now, watching the film, how do we judge which child is clinging to the right side? That is one great thing the film does, but also, look which side Walt, the protagonist, goes towards. Walt may have had a window to take the 'path of least resistance,' but with divorce and controlling parents it's hard to not pick a side. He chooses the negative, self-destructive side.

Margot at the Wedding is Noah Baumbach's best film to date. I admit, I haven't seen it in a while. I have been meaning to buy the DVD, but keep putting it off; so forgive my skimming on this movie. This film shows Margot going to her sister's wedding and how Margot, played perfectly by Nicole Kidman, gives us every negative emotion in the book. She just can't let things be, and has to have trouble in her life.

Kicking and Screaming, from 1995, is about a group of self-destructive characters who, at some point, realize they do need to get a grip on life. The film is about four friends who have just finished college and are in that state of limbo between hanging around campus all day and finding a career. This film is a comedy, but do not doubt the seriousness of how these characters throw away any instance of taking chances with their lives and resort to hitting on college freshman, even though they are 22. I guess one can't judge if that's something that happens on the side, but the characters in this movie substitute that for their future. It's eerie.

Yet all of these films barely miss the mark for me. The Squid and the Whale, while accurate and intelligent, seems to lack soul. Margot has soul, and is the best of the bunch, but I can't place what's off about it. I need to see it again. Kicking and Screaming, while very funny, does not resolve. Now, I do not need a resolution to be on screen--God, no. That would be insane. But I need a hint.