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Justin Rice, Rachel Clift, Andrew Bujalski, Seung-Min Lee, Pamela Corkey ... see more see more... , Kevin Micka , Ralph Tyler , Peter Pentz , Bill Morrison , Tamara Luzeckyj , Mary Varn , Kate Dollenmayer , Keith Gessen , Salvatore Botti , Ted Bergman , Dr. Gary Alter , Anshul Amar , Alex Cho , Kelli Cho , Su Ciampa , Chris Clinton , Jason Feuerstein , Ben Gauthier , Charlie Grundy , Elizabeth Hart , Andrea Havis , Damian Hess , Dave Kobin , Rita Liefhebber , Adam Mansbach , Jed McCaleb , Anisha Narasimhan , James Ratner , Sand Reardon , Chris Regan , Jack Woodhull

Alan's (Justin Rice) band, the Bumblebees, has recently broken up after releasing an EP that got some attention. Alan has moved to Brooklyn, where he is trying to get solo gigs, and spending a lot of ... read more read more...time with his old friend Lawrence (Andrew Bujalski, the film's writer/director) and Lawrence's girlfriend, Ellie (Rachel Clift). Alan quickly books a gig at hip Brooklyn club Northsix, and does a radio interview with Sara (Seung-Min Lee), during which he mentions that he doesn't even have a drummer. As luck would have it, Sara's brother, Dennis (Kevin Micka), is a drummer. Sara also makes it clear that she's attracted to Alan, which creates a problem when he decides he doesn't want to get involved with her. On the night of his gig, a friend of Alan's father with purported record-industry connections shows up, and invites Alan, Sara, and Dennis to his well-appointed apartment. Afterward, Alan drunkenly goes to a party where he was supposed to meet Lawrence and Ellie. As it turned out, they didn't make it, but a trio of women there (including one played by Kate Dollenmayer, who starred in Bujalski's debut feature, Funny Ha Ha), also drunk, have their own plans for him. Eventually, the unspoken attraction between Alan and Ellie comes to the fore. Mutual Appreciation was shot in black-and-white, and was a hit on the festival circuit before its theatrical release in September of 2006. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Flixster Users

70% liked it

3,266 ratings

Critics

88% liked it

51 critics

R, 1 hr. 48 min.

Directed by: Andrew Bujalski

Release Date: September 1, 2006

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DVD Release Date: February 13, 2007

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Stats: 232 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (232)

  • gor41
    December 21, 2007
    gor41
    Painfully film school project about narcissistic artists dong nothing in particular.
  • gator681
    October 22, 2007
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]In "Mutual Appreciation," Alan(Justin Rice) has just moved to New York from Boston after the breakup of his band, the Bumblebees. Once there, he looks up an old friend, Lawrence(Andrew Bujalski, who also wrote, directed and edited), who lives with his girlfr... read moreiend, Ellie(Rachel Clift). Needing a guitarist for an upcoming gig, Alan finds one through a frisky DJ, Sara(Seung-Min Lee).[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]"Mutual Appreciation" is about the awkwardness of youth where anything is possible and full responsibility has not yet kicked in. The movie is slightly agreeable before falling into a familiar trap late. And while I encourage low budget independent filmmaking, there should still be a certain level of storytelling skills and convincing performances which are not the case here.[/font]
  • Bojanglz
    July 16, 2008
    Bojanglz
    A strange and hypnotic movie with a kick ass soundtrack featuring the group BISHOP ALLEN. Unfortunately not everyone will enjoy this movie as much as I did. RECOMMENDED!
  • hullygully
    June 23, 2007
    hullygully
    Hipsters gone wild! A film with zero plot and character development. Shooting a bunch of semi-improvised scenes in black and white doesn't make you the next Cassavetes. Worse than Turistas.

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Critic Reviews

Steven Rea
November 24, 2006
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Alan, Lawrence and Ellie, intersecting here and there with a circle of acquaintances and strangers, insinuate themselves into the viewer's heart like good friends.

Bill Stamets
November 10, 2006
Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times

Shooting in black-and-white 16mm, Bujalski nods to the pre-Sundance personal cinema of the '50s and '60s. His little circle of pals, though, offers little to outsiders looking in. Full Review

Michael Wilmington
November 9, 2006
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

The film's mood and style are pitched somewhere between '60s American indie and French New Wave and, as you watch these people, they seem painfully, amusingly on-target. Full Review

Wesley Morris
October 20, 2006
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

Mutual Appreciation appropriates a seemingly improvised vérité style that's ideal for a cast of characters of no tremendous ambition. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
October 19, 2006
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

The kind of movie whose dialogue mostly hews to the rhythms of 'like, you know, whatever' but then occasionally throws in a word such as 'puissance.' And, like, it totally works. Full Review

Frank Scheck
October 6, 2006
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

There is no denying the director-screenwriter's ability to capture a certain real-life quality on film.

G. Allen Johnson
September 29, 2006
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle

Bujalski's writing is so good, and every shot and edit seems exactly right. Full Review

Carina Chocano
September 8, 2006
Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times

You can't exactly call it progress, but it is thrilling (in a low-key sort of way) to see real young adults looking and acting the way they do, light years away from the toothy flesh-bots that have su... Full Review

Kyle Smith
September 1, 2006
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Mutual Appreciation isn't much more interesting than hanging out with four smart, nice, semi-confused people in their 20s. But that puts it far above the average movie.

Elizabeth Weitzman
September 1, 2006
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

Here's hoping that somehow, this intelligent, uncommonly perceptive film finds the fairy-tale success it deserves. Full Review

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