Funny Ha Ha

Director Andrew Bujalski would seem to be the logical successor to Richard Linklater (Slacker era) with his use of pseudo-naturalistic dialogue and his (as some have claimed) Cassavetes-like insistence on "reality" and capturing the ordinary of everyday life and people. He is neither as articulate or philosophical as Linklater, nor does he have the artists eye and ear of Cassavetes (but then again, who does?). His characters are almost embarassingly non-confrontational, seem very unsure of themselves, never saying what they think until prodded into a corner, and constantly apologizing for creating awkward moments. It's actually very interesting, and though I know exactly what Bujalski was trying to accomplish, I can't say that I've ever met people who talk the way these characters do as consistently as they do. The ulta low budget, black and white, 16mm photography has a look similar to the films of Larry Fessenden. Bujalski seems to have an interesting idea with an eye and ear worth developing, but he doesn't quite pull this film up to where it could be.