ClassyWas
Excellent, smart action film.
WillSushyMedia
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
Skyler
Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.
ottosg77-959-561099
First off, similar to what the highlighted review commented on, I definitely respect the people that made and that were in this movie. No question that it was an honest depiction of these people, or people like these people. It felt like I was legitimately a fly on the wall, watching and listening in for every scene of their real life.That's good and bad, obviously. I appreciated it for what it was. I don't think it was trying to entertain at all, and that was fine, just know that going into it. My one minor gripe with it was all the damn stops and starts in the dialogue. The characters would stammer and restart their sentences, or not complete their original thoughts, a lot. Again, minor, it just bugged me. These are likable people, I thought, but their level of confidence was frustrating at times. Then again, they came off as smart, insightful, sometimes funny, real people that seem like they'd be great real-life friends.And that seems to be what the movie is about, ultimately.The friendship and real-life situations of three people. Nothing more, nothing less.
HoustonKing
At times, this picture feels like a slimmed down Jean Eustache film or an extremely modest variation of Francois Truffaut's ''Jules et Jim." You're forced to wonder what more money or a bigger vision might have produced. While it's true that the characters here have slim ambitions, you consequently have to wonder -- even while remaining devoted to his uncannily subtle skill with character -- what else Bujalski has up his sleeve. A panning shot, perhaps? ''Mutual Appreciation" is his first New York film (''Funny Ha Ha" was set in Allston), and the world he's captured is true to Alan's hipster dreams and indie-rock goals. The character's emotional dial is set on ''emo," which means he lacks the social constitution to articulate himself. He's passive, aimless, and occasionally narcissistic. See Alan unhook himself from Sara (Seung-Min Lee), a cute radio DJ, without it costing him her brother, who's his temporary drummer. And watch as he carries on a flirtation with Ellie, who's also attracted to him. Her emotional intelligence, however, is superior. The women in ''Mutual Appreciation" are confident and direct. The men can be exasperatingly meek.''Funny Ha Ha" was about a stalled 20-something and her romantic entanglements. (The woman who played her, Kate Dollenmayer, has a too-small part here.) ''Mutual Appreciation" is the second chapter in what seems like Bujalski's statement about people trying to find the right words as they move toward adulthood and negotiating their fears of commitment of any kind -- to a job, a person, or a complete thought. He could have called this movie ''A Tentative Yes." Of course, that title should do nothing to stop you from making an absolute commitment to see this film.Wesley Morris
David McClafferty
Genuinely funny and humane, plus music that rings true as a bonus. It might change what you think is possible from American indies right now.Here's an excerpt from Mahnola Dargis' NY Times review of the film: "It's the sort of unassuming discovery that could get lost in a crowd or suffer from too much big love, and while it won't save or change your life, it may make your heart swell. Its aim is modest and true."And another excerpt from Owen Glieberman's Entertainment Weekly review: "If this is the sound of a new generation, then it may be the first generation cautious enough to embrace friendship as mightier than love."
VolcomAvenger
I saw this film yesterday at the Independent Film Festival of Boston and was pleasantly surprised. I just randomly picked it because i wanted to see something at the IFFB, and i loved the movie. Andrew Bujalski did a great job writing this conversion driven movie. The conversation felt so natural that I thought most of it was ad-libbed, but after the film he told us that while parts of the script were somewhat left open for ad-libbing, it was mostly written dialog. The main character, Alan (Justin Rice) has this wonderfully unique charisma, which really pulled me into the movie. Mr. Bujalski told us that much of that character was based on real life Justin Rice, and it came across well. I would definitely recommend checking out this movie if you can, especially for fans of Woody Allen, and it reminded me of Wes Anderson's work in some ways, probably just because of the characters.
