Laconic

Rating: 5/10 (22 April 2004)

There's a nice film in here trying to get out, which is probably what all the kudos and awards acknowledge. The other nay votes do have a point: this movie shows one too many scenes of cultural isolation / modern ambivalence. On the other hand it's just like life in it's lack of overall momentum and it's quieter moments. It's really free from Hollywoods dirty fingerprints, which makes it remarkable for a second film. The score and the sentiments are gentle, which is why a young audience can't make heads or tails of it. Gentleness has no place in American culture anymore: It couldn't be sold to anyone for a profit.
There are too few films made about friendship. Unfortunately while Scarlett Johanssen looks lovely and Bill Murray is a national treasure, this movie stays in the average pile. The movie seems chronically underwritten. The script says something about being adrift in various ways. It just doesn't say it very rapidly.
I used to think that people like Murray used humor to bring people closer, but now I realize it's way of keeping people at bay by never letting them see even a hint of who he really is. I begin to wonder if this is Murray's problem, an observation he brougt to the character or both. It would be nice to see him actually relate to someone instead of to exist outside of the moment mocking it. His humor is a pretty effective force field.