I enjoyed Funny Ha Ha a lot, even more so after the second watch, so I watched another film of AB's, Mutual Appreciation. Andrew Bujalski's self invented 'mumblecore' style can be initially surprising, but is quite easy to get to grips with, and I found myself absorbed in the dialogue and characters in much the same way I would be in a good book. He certainly possesses a fine eye for talent, choosing a completely obscure lead in his first film, and the lead singer of a relatively obscure band as the main character in this one. I was surprised by the decision to shoot in black and white, but it works well and definitely lends the film a seperate air from that of Funny Ha Ha. Once again Bujalski casts himself in the role of a socially awkward and somewhat romantically unsuccessful character, which shows a continued strand of self-deprecation (a sort of Woody Allen antithesis). Anyway, it's well good and I'd recommend watching it.
Both Funny Ha Ha and Mutual Appreciation can be watched on this fantastic site that provides free and legal viewing of independent/old enough that the copyright holders don't care anymore movies. I'm not sure how easy they are to watch from the UK/Europe, I know some people have had problems but I'm sure a quick trawl of some forums can fix it.
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