Funny Ha Ha (2002)

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

If this film really won an Independent Film award it doesn't say much for our directing talent out there. There is not point to the movie and hence no point watching it. I guess one can read some significance into the meaninglessness of post-college life in the US but this would be doing the director an undeserved favour.Even if one were to accept that he was shooting a low budget movie with no plot and no script what I cannot understand is why the directing was so poor, why create an impression that we were watching a home movie with shaky hands and bad background lighting? Surely, even secondary school students' work is better than this. It appears that this was simply a private joke and someone released it publicly by mistake. However, it still doesn't explain the award.

First time filmmaker Andrew Bujalski's extremely low-budget feature "Funny Ha Ha" has many of the hallmarks of an early John Cassavetes film: grainy camera-work, minimalist storytelling, and naturalistic, ad lib performances. Bujalski's cast of characters is made up entirely of white urban youth in their early to mid 20's - that awkward period in life after an individual has finished college yet before he has moved on to building his own career and family. Given what appears to be their first real taste of freedom and independence, the characters do little but sit around, get drunk, and talk about their romantic relationships, but Bujalski observes all this without hysteria and judgment, thereby lending the film the aura of real life being caught on film. The focal point is an attractive young woman named Marnie (Kate Dollenmayer) who drinks a bit too much, seems vaguely directionless and lacking in energy, and is somewhat inexperienced in the ways of love, but who, nevertheless, seems reasonably well grounded and knows her own limits as a person. "Funny Ha Ha," despite its occasional raggedness and self-indulgence, is blessedly free of contrivance and melodramatics. These may not be the most goal-oriented or socially-conscious youth we've ever encountered in the movies, but neither are they the most troubled or self-destructive. They seem like pretty ordinary kids living in the moment and only vaguely aware that there's a world outside of themselves that they are destined to become a part of in the very near future.The beauty of the dialogue rests in its ability to capture with uncanny accuracy the way people in the real world actually speak. The characters interact in ways that are genuine and believable, and life just seems to be unfolding as we watch it on screen. This is due in small measure to the fine performances from a cast of virtual unknowns who know how to appear relaxed, honest and natural in front of the camera. With its improvisational and off-the-cuff film-making style and its abrupt, the-camera-just-ran-out-of-film ending, "Funny Ha Ha" makes us feel as if we are eavesdropping on the daily lives of a handful of relative strangers. Lucky for us, they turn out to be people in whom we can see something of ourselves reflected, and with whom we enjoy spending our time.

I'm not a big fan of the low-budget talkies. The shoe string budget films by Linklater and Kevin Smith that have 20 somethings discussing philosophy or working dead end jobs, and are filmed with static 16mm cameras usually kill me. As a result, I was not looking forward to FUNNY HA HA when it came in through NetFlix. Nonetheless, I have to say Andy threw me for quite a loop - this movie got me. I actually didn't find the Casavettes style that irritating. But, I think that's because of casting. Kate Dollenmayer is wonderful - she has a face that you can look at for hours. And the other non-pro players do a wonderful job. Andy's improv style works extremely well, and keeps one's interest. Kudos, brother. This one stands out. Ha.

This movie is an honest depiction of post college life for those who don't move back home and get a straight professional job out of the bat.The acting is quite amazing, and very authentic, compared to the lines that are spewed from most Hollywood scripts nowadays. You will be more impressed by the levels of subtlety in the acting once you know that barely any of the characters are trained actors.The dialogue has realistic and great turns, and is hilarious at times. I'm thinking especially of Marnie's interactions with Mitchell, played by the Director and whom has amazing comic timing.This movie is at its most base, meant to be the voice of a generation that struggles to make their intentions, opinions, and desires known.