The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
Directed by Noah Baumbach
- comedy
- drama
The story
An estranged family gathers together in New York for an event celebrating the artistic work of their father.
What it’s like
Warm, slightly rumpled Manhattan light: apartment interiors under lamps and muted daylight, cramped galleries and a university campus rendered in ordinary grey-brown tones, with the occasional bright pop of a sculpture or a yellow cab. Baumbach favours restless handheld movement and zooms that lean into awkward faces, then settles into static two-shots when a silence has to be held. The score is sparse and jazz-inflected, mostly absent so that bickering dialogue and small domestic sounds (a kettle, a door, a piano being fumbled) carry the scene. The vibe is wry, prickly and tender, a comedy of bruised egos with real sorrow underneath. It suits a rainy weekend afternoon or a long evening with someone you argue with fondly. Pacing is conversational and loose, with long scenes that drift and circle back. The emotional arc follows adult siblings slowly admitting how much their difficult, self-absorbed father shaped them. Language is frequent and sharp, there is some drinking and a tense blow-up or two, and sex and violence are absent. Best for viewers who enjoy character-driven, talky family drama with sharp humour and a melancholy edge.
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