Not a great film, although I loved The Squid and the Whale. Margot At the Wedding seemed to me like Noah Baumbach trying to have his cake and eat it too, by having Nicole Kidman in a very indie, very realistic role. The whole thing just really didn’t work for me.
I loved it. I think films carried by female performances are special when they work. It reminded me of Opening Night in that regard. Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh have performances I can only describe as awesome. I think Baumbach captures the horror of his childhood in a way others can relate to at a distance. Uncomfortable and mesmerizing.
Nicole Kidman felt like the exact same character as Jeff Daniels in the Squid and the Whale. The difference was I felt zero sympathy for Kidman and she could not bring a shred of humour to the role.
It does not stand up to Baumbach’s earlier works. However, the film has many rewarding aspects. Nicole Kidman’s performance was quite good, and surprisingly enough, Leigh’s performance was not overshadowed. Like Baumbach’s other films, it takes us to a very dark, alarmingly realistic place. That, I like. It does not, however, pay-off like The Squid… and Kicking and Screaming.
I’m glad I saw it, but I don’t need to see it again.
It took me a long time to decide how I felt about this film. I didn’t like The Squid and the Whale, but I think it was for the same reason that I initially didn’t respond well to this film which was that it was about despicable characters doing selfish things. However once I stopped looking just at the parts that make up the whole and looked at the film as a portrait of dysfunction, I warmed to it a lot more.
Amazing performances, for sure. I was even surprised by Jack Black. At this time and juncture I like it more than Squid, but that’s because I need to watch it again with the same frame of mind I watched Margot in. I have a feeling I’ll like it much more the second time around.
It took me a long time to decide how I felt about this film as well, but it definitely stuck with me. I’m no more comfortable with the film or with Kidman’s performance today than I was when I first saw it, which I suppose is partially the point. However, for me it lacked some of the heart of The Squid and the Whale and therefore didn’t hold up. I think if not for Leigh it would have fallen completely flat.
Although not a great film, I enjoy it. It did sort of seem like the germ of the film was Baumback specifically trying to write a good part for his wife.
Not a great film but worth a look.
I liked it a whole lot, I’ve seen it several times. Great movie
I didn’t really like Margot at the Wedding, but then again, I don’t really like Noah Baumbach.
I like the movie. I like the relationship between the two sisters. It’s not as entertaining as Squid and The Whale. But after the third watch, i would have to say i does get better and better
I love how people respond to this film. I think it’s a fantastic film and although it may not have the resonance that The Squid and the Whale does, it certainly holds its own. People seem to have really strong feelings about this movie one way or the other and as a filmmaker, I think that’s all you can hope for. The fact that Baumbach’s characters are so awful is what I love about this film! They’re not awful in the sense that they’re evil – they’re just real! I’ve known so many parents that act like Nicole KIdman and all you want to do is scream at them for being such a bad parent and screwing up your kid psychologically.
If you haven’t seen Margot at the Wedding and you enjoy realistic, raw emotional films, check it out.
I thought this film was a pretentious waste of time. I couldn’t care less about any of these people, with the possible exception of Jack Black’s character. He was the only one I thought survived this French New Wave wannabe film. I didn’t find the film realistic at all. In fact, there was a moment that didn’t feel contrived. I felt like I could hear Baumbach behind the camera telling the actors to “make it emotional.” What a horrible waste of talented people. Can we please get a film about a family that loves each other, or at least likes each other? That would be a challenging film. Making these films of disfunction families is a fucking cop out. Be brave and attempt to film compasion, someone, anyone! Ah, fuck it.
How about Dan in Real Life! That was a movie about a family that loved each other and had compassion (at least by the end of the movie). It was a complete fairy tale film that I’ve never actually observed in real life but there was love in it. And I just watched a Criterion film called “The Two of Us” that was very sweet, very compassionate.
I’m not going to argue the merits of Margot at the Wedding because I understand the difficulty people have with it. Like “Rachel Getting Married”, you either get it or you don’t. And I don’t fault anyone for not “getting it” as there are tons of supposed classics that I just can’t figure out (any of Terrence Malicks’ films for example) But I will say I found the film to be one of the few about a family that actually really does love each other (more so than The Squid and the Whale, that’s for sure). They just manifest that love in a very challenging way.
Noah Baumbach has never let me down. I love his pointed, behavioralist wit. I haven’t seen this but I plan to.
I don’t think his characters are despicable — just very, very human in the worst way.
Fredo-I “get” the film just fine, I just think it’s crap. You are right though, there are plenty of films out there that do show compassion. I just get a little heated and don’t think straight when people start talking about this film. Makes me wonder why I ever clicked on this thread…
@Jason
I gotcha. I didn’t mean “get it” in terms of people not understanding it since it’s obviously pretty easy to understand. I guess I meant “get it” like people got why it’s good (if that makes any sense). If you think it’s crap, that’s fine – it’s a polarizing film for sure. Now when people start saying No Country For Old Men or The Godfather are awful movies, that’s when I start getting heated! lol.
A film about a family that loves each other would be nice but something would have to happen to provide dramatic tension. Baumbach’s films are about class as much as family. The characters in The Squid and the Whale have created a whole new class for themselves — faux wealthy — in which they can indulge dysfunction like royalty. Sometimes it’s the simplest films that are the hardest to “get.”
Fredo-I’ll second that lol!
Anthony N
Thoughts?