Funny Ha Ha (2003)

As polished and pristine as the Hollywood product is becoming, it is only natural that there is an equal and opposite reaction from the independent film world. While it is difficult to determine where underground movements started once they surface, a good example of this "anti-aesthetic" was seen at this year's South by Southwest film festival. Films such as Joe Swanberg's Kissing on the Mouth, the Duplass Brothers' The Puffy Chair, and Andrew Bujalski's Mutual Appreciation typify the cornerstones of this style of filmmaking which includes documentary-style handheld camera work, little (if any concern) for cinematic lighting, "naturalistic" performances (stammering is a must), and maintaining focus through out a shot is a definite no-no. These films are generally character studies focusing on a group of friends. Plots are non-existant and the characters generally meander through quasi-existentialistic crises.

This sarcasm is not to say that these are not enjoyable films.

Funny Ha Ha is Bujalski's first film and became much of an afterthought after it was made on a shoestring budget with some of the filmmakers friends doubling as the cast. The film received a limited run on IFC (where I caught it) and even won Bujalski an Independent Spirit Award in the "Someone to Watch" category. Not too bad for such a small film. Bujalski went on to his next project, the aforementioned Mutual Appreciation. However, Funny Ha Ha continued to gain noteriety thanks to the IFC run and through tapes circulated through friends. Just this past spring, Ha Ha received a small distribution deal and is now enjoying a small run in theaters.

To boil the plot down into a synopsis misses the point of the film. As mentioned semi-sarcastically above, films of this school don't spend as much time on plot as they do on capturing moments with the characters. But for the sake of convention, the film focuses on recent college grad, Marnie (Kate Dollenmayer) and her small group of friends as they look for signs of life after college. But trust me, there's more to it than that.

The aesthetic of the film is very amatuerish, as mentioned before. The first two or three times I sat down to watch it, I couldn't get over how the film looked and sounded. It was shot on very grainy 16mm, the sound mixing is non-existant, and the camera work has that "sloppy chic" feel that is oh so trendy in independent film right now. Bujalski consciously chose non-actors (or more accurately non-professional actors) as his cast to give the film a rougher feel. It would be an understatement to say he accomplishes this goal.

Once I got past how the film looked, I found it to be a very charming film. More than anything else, I found the film to be about the rigors of coolness. The stammering actors' many "you knows," "ums" and "I'm sorrys" (if I were to play this as drinking game I would have been in trouble) give the sense that these people want to say things but in the age of irony, they may be afraid to share actual feelings.

Kate Dollenmayer is superb as the film's protagonist and completely inhabits the character of Marnie. Marnie is a real person, probably not too different from a girl you knew in college or high school. In one of the most excrutiating date scenes ever put to film, Mitchell (played by Bujalski) tells Marnie that "90% of her guy friends are probably totally in love with [her]." (I may be paraphrasing, but that is the general gist of the line.) And it's true, Dollenmayer plays this all-to-common in life, but rarely-seen-on-film role to a tee. Christian Rudder is also very good as Alex, a character that turns the romantic leading man on its ear with his delightfully spastic interpretation of his part. Myles Paige and Jennifer Schaper also shine as Marnie's friends Dave and Rachel.

Funny Ha Ha is, intentionally or not, a very uneven film from start to finish, but there are moments that you know you've lived and are captured so beautifully that you can't help but let these moments out shine all of the out-of-focus close-ups, and mumbled dialogue along the way. It may be a hard journey for some, but ultimately it is worth it.

My Grade: 87 (B+)