Funny Ha Ha

USA 2002, 90 minutes
Dir. Andrew Bujalski
Rating: [M]
Genres: Drama, Comedy / Independent

Aroview: Less 'funny ha ha' than funny peculiar drama about a young woman's desultry efforts to move on in life after completing her university degree. Its surface evokes the familiar narratives of 1990s indie cinema, but is less narcissistic and sports a superior level of insight and an original, straggling hipster atmosphere.

Shot in Boston on 16mm, dir. Bujalski's debut effort references the observational mode of John Cassevetes, but ultimately celebrates a lighter, goofier set of character conflicts and desires, as Dollenmayer struggles through various temp jobs and makes ham-fisted stabs of romantic connection. While only occasionally laugh-out-loud, this has a muffled elegance that may even reward a second viewing.