The Squid And The Whale (15)

Apr 28 2006 By Graham Young, Birmingham Mail

BERNARD Berkman (a career-best Jeff Daniels) wrote an acclaimed novel many years ago.

Stunted by writer's block, he's been reclining into his life as a college professor with his wife Joan (Laura Linney) and two sons, 16-year-old Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) and 10-year-old Frank (Owen Kline).

When Bernard and Joan announce their separation, spurred on by her extramarital affairs, the boys are snagged in a brutal tug of war between their two parents.

Adding fuel to the flames, Joan unexpectedly enjoys her own brush with literary success and Bernard's barely concealed jealousy threatens to tear the already fractured family further apart.

This might be a 'small' movie at just 80 minutes, but it's also one of the year's best - and showing only at the Electric, Station St this week before moving on to Warwick Arts Centre (May 5) and the MAC (May 12) for week-long runs.

Basing the film on his own childhood experiences, little known director Noah Baum-bach was Oscar-nominated this year for best original screenplay.

He has also written a script for Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox, set to be directed by Wes Anderson (Rushmore/ The Royal Tenenbaums).