Mutual Appreciation (2006)
88 %
Reviews Counted: 51 Fresh: 45 Rotten:6 Average Rating: 7.7/10
Consensus:
Director Bujalski continues to give cinematic voice to awkward, literate twentysomethings with noteworthy smarts and tenderness.
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Theatrical Release: Sep 1, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: Alan (Justin Rice), a musician whose band has just broken up, shows up in New York to pursue his burgeoning rock and roll career. He starts by searching for a drummer for a show he's already lined up, and otherwise goes about the mechanics of self-promotion. He finds a champion in Sara (Seung-Min... [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Justin Rice, Rachel Clift, Andrew Bujalski
Director: Andrew Bujalski
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Reviews
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05/12/07
Top CriticClick to read the article
05/12/07
You'll either be bored or fascinated by the Cassavetes-like reality of it all.
05/04/07
The grainy, black-and-white look and the characters' ethos dovetail perfectly.
05/04/07
Top Critic
Bujalski perfectly skewers what you might call the "sort-of" generation: educated, mid-20s white Americans hemmed in by their own non-committal uncertainty.
05/04/07
The painful honesty and geeky cool draws you in, but the film’s sweet-natured humour seals the deal.
05/04/07
Top Critic
Indebted to the films of Jim Jarmusch and John Cassavetes, Bujalski invests this love triangle with real empathy for his bumbling, hyper-articulate characters, and a sly, edgy humour.
05/04/07
Top Critic
Bujalski is a shrewd comic observer, and astute enough a director to get the most of his engaging actors.
05/04/07
Just because you shoot semi-improvised scenes in black-and-white doesn’t mean you’re the new Jim Jarmusch.
05/04/07
Despite their lackadaisical impression, the pictures are quite tightly structured: each scene covers emotional and narrative distance. Funny, forgiving, credible and deft, they offer much to appreciate.
05/03/07
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12/30/06
Top Critic
Just because it's like real life doesn't mean it's inherently interesting.
12/08/06
To capture the mundane rhythms of everyday existence without being tedious is a tough task, which makes the difficulties [director] Bujalski has had getting his films distributed a puzzling and frustrating thing.
12/08/06
Already an indie fan favourite thanks to the no-budget romp Funny Ha Ha, director Andrew Bujalski here slays the sophomore slump with another scruffy but bang-on look at life in the slow lane.
12/08/06
The shaggy honesty is bracing and the modest stories of young adults too tentative and nervous to do more than talk around an issue have a perceptive authenticity that doesn't shake off easily.
12/07/06
It certainly doesn't help that these characters just aren't worth a two-hour investment. Unless you're a fan of independent music, there's little chance you'll want to spend that much time with them.
12/01/06
Alan, Lawrence and Ellie, intersecting here and there with a circle of acquaintances and strangers, insinuate themselves into the viewer's heart like good friends.
11/24/06
Top CriticRelated Forums
I just don't get the raves....this is one awful movie.
by: anthony95401 9/4/06
by: anthony95401 9/4/06
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• Mutual Appreciation at Rotten Tomatoes
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• Mutual Appreciation at AskMen
• Mutual Appreciation at IGN
• Mutual Appreciation at AskMen
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