FUNNY HA HA is a meandering, whimsical look at Echo Boomers. Adult Life hasn't taken hold, direction seems clear, yet where is the forward momentum? I doubt very seriously if people within this age group would identify with this representation. I think that the film works better for people who are much younger, or decades and decades older. Teenagers might envy the leisure time and absence of adult responsibility depicted in the film, and older folks might view it through the lens of rosy nostalgia. The film has a very Independent look, and is not without a certain elemental charm. However, it is certainly not a definitive statement, but maybe that was the point.

I actually won this movie in a Landmark Theatre contest while living in New Orleans. I picked it up that Saturday before hurricane Katrina hit, with the thinking that I could have something cool to watch once I arrived at my evacuation destination. I have to agree with everything that([email protected]) commented on. If I would have known, I would have spent more time gathering more of my valuables. I could have filmed my backyard where the only activity would have been birds and squirrels running around and THAT would have been a bit more interesting than this movie. Sorry, that's 85 minutes of my life I can never retrieve. If anything, they've found a method that defies spoiling. There is absolutely no way to spoil this movie, so kudos on that one. It's just a snippet of life.

Well, there's no accounting for taste. I see a lot of negative reviews for FUNNY HA HA on here, so I felt the need to weigh in with my rave. For me, this is what independent film should be. It's cheaply made, very personal, featuring remarkably unaffected and incredibly likable performances from non-actors. For me, it's not about anything but trying to capture what it's like to be a real person in a specific place and time. Cassavetes gets mentioned a lot in reference to Bujalski and it's certainly an apt comparison in philosophy if nothing else. Small, modest films that strive only to convey something honest. For me, you can keep the empty, smug, disposable movies that comprise most of the no-budget indie landscape. I'll take FUNNY HA HA (or Bujalski's 2nd film, MUTUAL APPRECIATION) any day.

This was a god awful film. I'm struggling to come up with the words to explain how much I hated this film, I'm struggling as much as the characters did to come up with anything remotely interesting to say. You might think "life is like that, life is all about awkward pauses and situations and apologies", and you're right... but we don't put them on film for chrissake! it was as though the most interesting and thoughtful parts of their conversations were removed and we only got to see what remained. The acting is appalling, the direction is disgraceful, there was no evidence of a script and it appeared that each scene was only shot once, no second takes. I saw it the Melbourne International Film Festival and for the record, no less than 30-40 people walked out 2/3 of the way through. I honestly felt like I'd been taken for a ride, this movie is so bad it feels like one big practical joke on the viewer.