The films of Noah Baumbach are of a distinct writerly persuasion. His characters talk, debate and bicker among themselves, throwing verbal darts at one another while tossing humourous asides to only the most attentive listeners. It’s the voluble nature of Baumbach’s work, coupled with the personal, small-scale ambition of his narratives, which has led many critics to easy and inevitable comparisons to the French filmmakers of the Nouvelle Vague – and particularly to one of the movement’s most enduring figures, François Truffaut. As such, Baumbach’s films don’t lend themselves particularly well to considerations of production or design elements, just as his dialogue and situational irony tend to convey much of the drama, rather than peripheral accoutrements such as music.
By that same token, Baumbach is rather expert in his implementation…
