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Mumblecore stumbles onto DVD. Headliner of the ludicrously labelled batch of recent micro-budget US indie films – “Mumblecore” / “Slackavetes” / “bedhead cinema” – filmmaker Andrew Bujalski’s lo-fi charmers, Funny Ha Ha (2002) and Mutual Appreciation (2005), stand out from the rest of the crowd in several respects: they’re shot on sandpapered 16mm rather than DV; they (eventually) got a wide distribution; and mumbled self-indulgence is drowned out by smart, subtle sophistication.Bujalski’s basic set-ups echo his peers’ work – diffident twentysomethings bumbling along with urban angst, stuttering careers and stalled relationships: Funny Ha Ha’s lead, Marnie, stymied by post-grad drift and an unrequited crush on her pal Alex; Mutual Appreciation’s alt rock musician, Alan, bandless and drawn to his best friend’s girl. But what sets them apart, appealing naturalistic performances aside, is the delicate use of miscommunication to convey more than words can say. In particular, Funny Ha Ha’s climactic blink-and-miss-it epiphany shows considerable cinematic savvy. Likely to be way too solipsistic and small-scale for the high-concept blockbuster crowd, avoid branding misnomers and appreciate a filmmaker that’s fresh enough to make his own impact. Writer, director, actor and editor, the last label Bujalski deserves is “slacker”. Mutual Appreciation and Funny Ha Ha, out now on Vital Distribution.
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