Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a group of people is talking in different locations with no OST in sight. There are no stakes and no drama. It’s a window into their world.
You probably know this type of movie. Cheap to make, it usually works as a time machine. Noah Baumbach’s Kicking and Screaming once transported us into the 90s, and now, Andrew Bujalski did the same for the 00s.
Despite nothing happening on the screen, there’s a certain charm. The characters seem real and uninterested in stirring Hollywood-style drama. They simply exist. And that is enough.
The movie is shot on black-and-white film with a 4:3 aspect ratio, which might be offputting to some, but once again, it works. Because of the extreme focus on characters, it’s hard even to guess the year the events take place: these characters might as well exist today, although a total lack of smartphone obsession and modern lingo feels liberating. Back then, phones were more of a hassle - a way to contact you when you least desired it.
At the very heart of the movie is music. No wonder: it stars Justin Rice of the indie rock band Bishop Allen and features music from the band's debut album Charm School. Music is by far the thing that dates the movie the most: that slightly melancholic and yet upbeat indie rock is nowhere near as popular today.
By the movie’s end, I was somewhat mesmerized by its simplicity. Have I seen this kind of movie before? I sure have. And yet, it’s definitely worth a watch.
Review by YaxareBlockedParent2023-08-22T15:05:37Z
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a group of people is talking in different locations with no OST in sight. There are no stakes and no drama. It’s a window into their world.
You probably know this type of movie. Cheap to make, it usually works as a time machine. Noah Baumbach’s Kicking and Screaming once transported us into the 90s, and now, Andrew Bujalski did the same for the 00s.
Despite nothing happening on the screen, there’s a certain charm. The characters seem real and uninterested in stirring Hollywood-style drama. They simply exist. And that is enough.
The movie is shot on black-and-white film with a 4:3 aspect ratio, which might be offputting to some, but once again, it works. Because of the extreme focus on characters, it’s hard even to guess the year the events take place: these characters might as well exist today, although a total lack of smartphone obsession and modern lingo feels liberating. Back then, phones were more of a hassle - a way to contact you when you least desired it.
At the very heart of the movie is music. No wonder: it stars Justin Rice of the indie rock band Bishop Allen and features music from the band's debut album Charm School. Music is by far the thing that dates the movie the most: that slightly melancholic and yet upbeat indie rock is nowhere near as popular today.
By the movie’s end, I was somewhat mesmerized by its simplicity. Have I seen this kind of movie before? I sure have. And yet, it’s definitely worth a watch.