Mutual Appreciation

Writer-director Andrew Bujalski’s first feature was Funny Ha Ha, a well-reviewed film mainly notable for having the worst movie title ever, a mark only recently eclipsed by Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties. His follow-up is Mutual Appreciation, another plot-lite, modestly produced story of 20-something urbanites aimlessly chattering into oblivion. Like many other filmmakers with an ear for the speech patterns of urban youths, Bujalski has been hailed in some quarters as the voice of his generation, and he does capture the way that people can have one intimate conversation after another without saying anything that’s in their heart. There are many good scenes, but the main payoff is the promise—is Bujalski the next Linklater or another fleetingly spotlit noodler? I can’t wait to find out.