WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.680 Welcome to the deep dive where we really get 00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:04.940 into the fascinating stories behind the people 00:00:04.940 --> 00:00:07.639 and ideas shaping our world. You know, there 00:00:07.639 --> 00:00:11.300 are some filmmakers who They don't just tell 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:13.619 stories, right? They don't just capture moments. 00:00:13.619 --> 00:00:17.600 They have this almost uncanny ability to tap 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:20.739 right into the essence of being human. They make 00:00:20.739 --> 00:00:23.800 us laugh, sometimes with recognition, sometimes 00:00:23.800 --> 00:00:27.359 with a bit of discomfort. That wince of recognition. 00:00:27.820 --> 00:00:30.820 Exactly. And ultimately, we see ourselves reflected 00:00:30.820 --> 00:00:33.020 up there on the screen. It's like they hold up 00:00:33.020 --> 00:00:35.100 a mirror. Sometimes it's beautifully polished. 00:00:35.219 --> 00:00:37.780 Other times it's, well, delightfully distorted, 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:39.820 showing us the quirks and complexities of modern 00:00:39.820 --> 00:00:42.380 life. Absolutely. And when you anchor that kind 00:00:42.380 --> 00:00:45.079 of sharp observational gaze, specifically in, 00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:48.340 say, the iconic, often let's face it, neurotic 00:00:48.340 --> 00:00:51.520 landscape of New York City, you often find a 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:54.670 truly singular voice emerging. And today we're 00:00:54.670 --> 00:00:57.109 talking about a master chronicler of exactly 00:00:57.109 --> 00:00:59.649 that experience. We are. We're exploring in depth 00:00:59.649 --> 00:01:03.490 the career, the deep roots of his influences, 00:01:03.570 --> 00:01:06.569 and the utterly distinctive style of American 00:01:06.569 --> 00:01:09.010 filmmaker Noah Baumbach. That's the one. Yeah. 00:01:09.349 --> 00:01:11.489 And you, our listener, you've shared a really 00:01:11.489 --> 00:01:13.549 compelling stack of sources with us. I mean, 00:01:13.689 --> 00:01:17.189 everything from intricate biographical details, 00:01:17.909 --> 00:01:20.790 sharp film reviews, revealing interview snippets. 00:01:21.069 --> 00:01:23.370 The works. It's a great collection to dig into. 00:01:23.489 --> 00:01:26.799 It really is. So. Our mission today is to extract 00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:29.680 the most potent nuggets of knowledge, the real 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:32.959 insights from all of that. We want to truly uncover 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:36.439 what makes Bumback's storytelling so, well, singular, 00:01:36.920 --> 00:01:39.480 why his films resonate so profoundly with so 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:41.560 many of us and maybe understand a bit more about 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:44.019 the meticulous craft behind what often looks 00:01:44.019 --> 00:01:46.200 like effortless narrative. Yeah, that seeming 00:01:46.200 --> 00:01:48.120 effortlessness is key, isn't it? There's so much 00:01:48.120 --> 00:01:50.340 going on underneath. Definitely. So get ready 00:01:50.340 --> 00:01:52.680 for some surprising connections, maybe, and plenty 00:01:52.680 --> 00:01:55.670 of genuine Uh -huh, moments. Okay, let's unpack 00:01:55.670 --> 00:01:59.469 this. So, you know, to really grasp the artistry 00:01:59.469 --> 00:02:02.290 of a filmmaker, you often have to go back, back 00:02:02.290 --> 00:02:04.650 to the very beginning. To the roots. Exactly. 00:02:04.870 --> 00:02:07.569 To those formative years that kind of mold their 00:02:07.569 --> 00:02:12.030 worldview and infuse their work with a distinct 00:02:12.030 --> 00:02:14.889 sensibility. And with Noah Baumbach, those roots 00:02:14.889 --> 00:02:17.689 are deeply, vibrantly embedded in the creative 00:02:17.689 --> 00:02:20.340 soil of... Brooklyn, New York City. That's right. 00:02:20.419 --> 00:02:22.580 He was born September 3, 1969, right there in 00:02:22.580 --> 00:02:25.900 Brooklyn. Grew up in Park Slope, which was and 00:02:25.900 --> 00:02:28.240 still is a pretty intellectually rich neighborhood. 00:02:28.430 --> 00:02:30.590 And what's truly crucial to understand here, 00:02:30.590 --> 00:02:33.050 I think, is that this setting Brooklyn and New 00:02:33.050 --> 00:02:35.430 York City more broadly, it isn't just like a 00:02:35.430 --> 00:02:37.770 convenient backdrop in his film. No, not at all. 00:02:37.810 --> 00:02:39.569 It almost functions as another character, doesn't 00:02:39.569 --> 00:02:43.289 it? It establishes this very distinctive geographical 00:02:43.289 --> 00:02:46.250 cultural context that informs pretty much everything 00:02:46.250 --> 00:02:49.009 about his later work. How so specifically? Well, 00:02:49.009 --> 00:02:50.969 think about it. The specific architecture, you 00:02:50.969 --> 00:02:52.770 know, the brown stones, the whole intellectual 00:02:52.770 --> 00:02:55.409 milieu of that part of Brooklyn, the rhythm of 00:02:55.409 --> 00:02:57.509 urban conversations you hear in his dialogue. 00:02:57.710 --> 00:02:59.889 Even the particular anxieties of the people who 00:02:59.889 --> 00:03:02.069 live there. Right. It's not Scorsese's gritty 00:03:02.069 --> 00:03:06.030 New York or like early Woody Allen's romanticized 00:03:06.030 --> 00:03:09.090 version. Exactly. Baumbach's New York is often 00:03:09.090 --> 00:03:12.229 this stage for highly articulate, self -aware, 00:03:12.469 --> 00:03:15.349 sometimes, well, pretty self -absorbed characters 00:03:15.349 --> 00:03:18.129 who are wrestling with ambition, relationships, 00:03:18.750 --> 00:03:21.819 identity. Yeah. all that stuff. So it's not just 00:03:21.819 --> 00:03:23.319 where he grew up, it's kind of who he grew up 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:26.580 to be. Steeped in an environment that really 00:03:26.580 --> 00:03:31.039 values wit, introspection, and often a certain 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:33.719 kind of neurotic charm. And what an environment 00:03:33.719 --> 00:03:36.400 to be steeped in. I mean, his parents. His father, 00:03:36.599 --> 00:03:38.680 Jonathan Bomback, was an author of experimental 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:41.080 fiction, co -founder of the Fiction Collective 00:03:41.080 --> 00:03:42.979 Publishing House. Which was pretty groundbreaking 00:03:42.979 --> 00:03:45.020 back then, right? Publishing avant -garde stuff. 00:03:45.139 --> 00:03:47.419 Totally. And he was also professor at Stanford 00:03:47.419 --> 00:03:50.280 and Brooklyn College and a film critic for Partisan 00:03:50.280 --> 00:03:52.639 Review, known for its serious intellectual rigor. 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:55.340 Wow. And his mother, Georgia Brown, was also 00:03:55.340 --> 00:03:57.710 a film critic. for The Village Voice, another 00:03:57.710 --> 00:03:59.969 seminal publication, right? Known for its progressive 00:03:59.969 --> 00:04:02.490 cultural commentary. And she was a fiction writer 00:04:02.490 --> 00:04:05.189 herself. I mean, imagine the dinner table conversations. 00:04:06.009 --> 00:04:08.330 Seriously. It sounds like a permanent master 00:04:08.330 --> 00:04:12.330 class in film and literature. Did the sources 00:04:12.330 --> 00:04:15.050 hint at whether he ever felt like pressured by 00:04:15.050 --> 00:04:17.490 that legacy or did he actively try to differentiate 00:04:17.490 --> 00:04:19.730 himself? That's a really insightful question. 00:04:19.730 --> 00:04:22.709 Yeah. Because the influence is just undeniable. 00:04:22.889 --> 00:04:25.209 But it's rarely simple, is it, like a one -to 00:04:25.209 --> 00:04:27.790 -one thing? What's so compelling is how deeply 00:04:27.790 --> 00:04:30.769 immersed he was from day one in both film and 00:04:30.769 --> 00:04:33.629 literature. Having two parents who weren't just 00:04:33.629 --> 00:04:36.889 consumers, but active critics and creators, that 00:04:36.889 --> 00:04:39.709 must give you this incredibly unique... almost 00:04:39.709 --> 00:04:43.430 forensic lens on storytelling. Forensic. I like 00:04:43.430 --> 00:04:45.769 that. Like dissecting things. Yeah, exactly. 00:04:45.850 --> 00:04:47.610 You can imagine him absorbing these discussions 00:04:47.610 --> 00:04:49.389 about narrative structure, character development, 00:04:49.569 --> 00:04:51.850 cinematic technique, not just passively, but 00:04:51.850 --> 00:04:54.029 actively learning to dissect films and books 00:04:54.029 --> 00:04:56.009 from a super young age. So that probably honed 00:04:56.009 --> 00:04:58.329 his own critical eye, that sharp sense of dialogue 00:04:58.329 --> 00:05:00.410 people talk about. Almost certainly. That dialogue 00:05:00.410 --> 00:05:03.050 often gets described as a distillation of reality, 00:05:03.050 --> 00:05:05.850 right? And his precise observational skills. 00:05:06.430 --> 00:05:08.730 It likely comes, at least in part, from that 00:05:08.649 --> 00:05:11.990 upbringing we can speculate obviously but this 00:05:11.990 --> 00:05:14.430 background might have instilled in him a deep 00:05:14.430 --> 00:05:17.089 appreciation for the mechanics of storytelling 00:05:17.089 --> 00:05:21.129 how a scene works how dialogue functions how 00:05:21.129 --> 00:05:24.550 tiny details carry huge emotional weight and 00:05:24.550 --> 00:05:27.689 maybe that intellectual curiosity wanting to 00:05:27.689 --> 00:05:31.009 explore things with nuance yes exactly not just 00:05:31.009 --> 00:05:32.569 broad strokes it's not just that he saw a lot 00:05:32.569 --> 00:05:35.629 of films he saw people thinking critically about 00:05:35.629 --> 00:05:38.480 film arguing about film. You can see that maybe 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:41.459 in his framing sometimes, the precise rhythm 00:05:41.459 --> 00:05:44.980 of the dialogue. Or even how his characters are 00:05:44.980 --> 00:05:47.360 often so hyper aware of their own narratives, 00:05:47.959 --> 00:05:50.019 like they're constantly evaluating their lives 00:05:50.019 --> 00:05:52.600 through that critical lens. Interesting point. 00:05:52.759 --> 00:05:55.060 And it's also worth noting his dad was Jewish 00:05:55.060 --> 00:05:58.079 his mom Protestant. So that blend adds another 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:00.540 layer to his upbringing reflecting that multifaceted 00:06:00.540 --> 00:06:02.899 cultural landscape he was navigating. You see 00:06:02.899 --> 00:06:05.180 themes of identity and belonging pop up a lot 00:06:05.180 --> 00:06:07.579 in his work. So it wasn't just what they watched 00:06:07.579 --> 00:06:09.500 but how they watched and discussed it. That's 00:06:09.500 --> 00:06:11.920 a powerful foundation. And apparently from a 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:14.560 very young age he was just determined. Set on 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:17.279 becoming a professional filmmaker, he graduated 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:20.459 from Midwood High School in Brooklyn in 87, then 00:06:20.459 --> 00:06:22.860 got his A .B. in English from Vassar College 00:06:22.860 --> 00:06:25.199 in 91. And here's where it gets really interesting, 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:28.839 like a genuine surprising fact. Okay. His college 00:06:28.839 --> 00:06:32.839 roommate at Vassar. None other than future filmmaker 00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:37.800 Jason Blum. Get out! That Jason Blum house! Yep. 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:40.620 The titan of micro -budget horror, he would later 00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:43.420 produce Bomback's very first feature film. Wow. 00:06:43.790 --> 00:06:45.709 That's more than just a coincidence, right? It 00:06:45.709 --> 00:06:47.529 really highlights those early connections forming. 00:06:47.870 --> 00:06:50.129 Did the sources say anything about, like, what 00:06:50.129 --> 00:06:52.189 they were like back then? Any collaborations? 00:06:52.490 --> 00:06:54.750 Well, the sources don't detail specific college 00:06:54.750 --> 00:06:57.149 collaborations, unfortunately. Yeah. But just 00:06:57.149 --> 00:06:59.689 the fact that a future horror mogul and an indie 00:06:59.689 --> 00:07:02.829 dramedy auteur were roommates. Yeah. It says 00:07:02.829 --> 00:07:04.790 something about the creative energy faster than, 00:07:04.910 --> 00:07:06.810 doesn't it? For sure. Talent gravitating towards 00:07:06.810 --> 00:07:10.209 talent. Exactly. Those early relationships built 00:07:10.209 --> 00:07:13.269 on shared passions, maybe late -night movie debates. 00:07:13.529 --> 00:07:17.610 They can lay crucial groundwork. And after college, 00:07:17.970 --> 00:07:20.110 Baumbach even briefly worked as a messenger at 00:07:20.110 --> 00:07:22.769 the New Yorker. That feels so quintessentially 00:07:22.769 --> 00:07:25.910 New York for a budding artist. Doesn't it? That 00:07:25.910 --> 00:07:28.209 moment of grounding, observing the world from 00:07:28.209 --> 00:07:30.370 a different angle before diving into filmmaking. 00:07:31.009 --> 00:07:33.329 Like a snapshot of a young artist absorbing the 00:07:33.329 --> 00:07:36.149 city's pulse. A fertile period for observation 00:07:36.149 --> 00:07:38.730 before turning that eye onto his own stories. 00:07:38.920 --> 00:07:42.079 And speaking of observation and absorption, his 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:44.819 early cinematic sparks were incredibly diverse. 00:07:45.220 --> 00:07:48.319 He cited everything from like the absurd comedies, 00:07:48.420 --> 00:07:51.779 the jerk in Animal House to poignant literary 00:07:51.779 --> 00:07:54.040 dramas like The World According to Garp. Even 00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:56.639 big blockbusters like Heaven Can Wait and Invasion 00:07:56.639 --> 00:07:58.339 of the Body Snatchers. That's quite a range. 00:07:58.620 --> 00:08:00.740 But here's the kicker. The film he consistently 00:08:00.740 --> 00:08:04.420 names as his favorite of all time is E .T. The 00:08:04.420 --> 00:08:06.759 Extraterrestrial. OK, see, if we connect that 00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:09.500 to the bigger picture, this remarkably diverse 00:08:09.500 --> 00:08:12.399 list of early influences is incredibly telling, 00:08:12.519 --> 00:08:14.720 isn't it? It's not just one genre, but a synthesis. 00:08:14.779 --> 00:08:17.459 Right. It suggests a filmmaker who appreciates 00:08:17.459 --> 00:08:20.899 sharp wit and character humor. Sure. But also 00:08:20.899 --> 00:08:23.579 that deep emotional resonance you find in stories 00:08:23.579 --> 00:08:26.639 about longing and belonging. And E .T. is all 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:28.720 about that, isn't it? Childhood wonder, feeling 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:31.259 like an outsider. Exactly. The pain of being 00:08:31.259 --> 00:08:34.460 an outsider. That profound emotional bond between 00:08:34.460 --> 00:08:37.679 completely different individuals. It really hints 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:40.179 at the multifaceted nature of his own future 00:08:40.179 --> 00:08:42.960 work. So you can see E .T.'s influence in his 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:45.200 characters, like the isolated ones. Yeah, definitely. 00:08:45.450 --> 00:08:48.370 think of Florence Mar in Greenberg, kind of lonely, 00:08:48.769 --> 00:08:51.870 searching for connection, or the really deeply 00:08:51.870 --> 00:08:55.090 felt but often super awkward family love and 00:08:55.090 --> 00:08:56.909 yearning for understanding of the squid and the 00:08:56.909 --> 00:09:00.450 whale. His films often blend that keen observational 00:09:00.450 --> 00:09:03.029 humor with a profound, almost melancholic sense 00:09:03.029 --> 00:09:05.789 of human feeling, that universal experience of 00:09:05.789 --> 00:09:08.470 longing for something just out of reach. It's 00:09:08.470 --> 00:09:10.269 a testament to how these varied inspirations 00:09:10.269 --> 00:09:12.769 didn't just sit there. They really coalesced 00:09:12.769 --> 00:09:15.490 into his distinct cinematic language. OK, so 00:09:15.490 --> 00:09:18.809 after those deeply formative years soaking up 00:09:18.809 --> 00:09:22.080 culture, building those early connections, Bonback 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:24.559 takes his first concrete steps into filmmaking, 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:28.200 establishing those independent roots. His writing 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:30.299 and directing debut was kicking and screaming 00:09:30.299 --> 00:09:34.629 in 1995. A witty comedy, right? About four young 00:09:34.629 --> 00:09:37.509 guys just graduated college, totally paralyzed 00:09:37.509 --> 00:09:40.450 about what's next, refusing to move on. Starring 00:09:40.450 --> 00:09:42.730 Josh Hamilton, Chris Eichmann, Carlos Chacott, 00:09:43.350 --> 00:09:45.710 a great cast for that kind of talky ensemble 00:09:45.710 --> 00:09:47.990 piece. And it premiered to significant buzz at 00:09:47.990 --> 00:09:49.690 the New York Film Festival. Yeah, the reception 00:09:49.690 --> 00:09:51.470 for Kicking and Screaming was pretty remarkable 00:09:51.470 --> 00:09:54.090 for a debut. Newsweek even chose him as one of 00:09:54.090 --> 00:09:57.909 their 10 new faces of 1996. That's strong early 00:09:57.909 --> 00:09:59.649 industry recognition. And the critics noticed, 00:09:59.889 --> 00:10:03.129 too. Oh, yeah. Roger Ebert praised its good eye 00:10:03.129 --> 00:10:05.590 and a terrific ear. He said the dialogue wasn't 00:10:05.590 --> 00:10:07.830 just accurate, but a distillation of reality, 00:10:08.049 --> 00:10:11.230 elevating aimless, brainy small talk into a statement 00:10:11.230 --> 00:10:14.590 about a generation. Wow, high praise. And Janet 00:10:14.590 --> 00:10:17.370 Maslin at the New York Times highlighted its 00:10:17.370 --> 00:10:20.590 confident comic style and acute sense of timing. 00:10:21.340 --> 00:10:23.879 Bomback himself mentioned being influenced by 00:10:23.879 --> 00:10:26.799 that ensemble feeling in films like Whit Stillman's 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:29.919 Metropolitan and Barry Levinson's Diner. You 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:32.440 can absolutely feel that in the film's witty, 00:10:32.700 --> 00:10:35.879 overlapping banter, the camaraderie, or sometimes 00:10:35.879 --> 00:10:38.200 the charming antagonism among the characters, 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:41.100 that became a hallmark of his early work. And 00:10:41.100 --> 00:10:42.940 connecting back produced by his old roommate 00:10:42.940 --> 00:10:46.610 Jason Blum. Exactly. proving the power and sometimes 00:10:46.610 --> 00:10:49.029 the surprising variety of those early connections. 00:10:49.029 --> 00:10:51.629 It really came full circle. It's fantastic, but 00:10:51.629 --> 00:10:53.970 you know not all early filmmaking attempts are 00:10:53.970 --> 00:10:56.200 smooth sailing. Definitely not. He quickly followed 00:10:56.200 --> 00:10:59.940 up with Mr. Jealousy in 1997, wrote and directed 00:10:59.940 --> 00:11:02.419 that one about a writer so jealous he infiltrates 00:11:02.419 --> 00:11:05.320 his girlfriend's ex's therapy group. Yikes. Sounds 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:07.480 intense. And then came Highball, which he co 00:11:07.480 --> 00:11:10.440 -wrote under pseudonym Jesse Carter and directed 00:11:10.440 --> 00:11:13.860 as Ernie Fusco, another New York comedy of manners. 00:11:14.259 --> 00:11:15.679 And here's where it gets really interesting. 00:11:15.779 --> 00:11:19.100 I guess Highball, the one he disowned. Exactly. 00:11:19.379 --> 00:11:22.200 He famously disowned it, called it a mess, a 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:24.750 foolish experiment. Yeah, that's a pivotal and 00:11:24.750 --> 00:11:27.250 kind of infamous moment in his early career. 00:11:27.789 --> 00:11:30.049 The whole thing sounds like a nightmare. Super 00:11:30.049 --> 00:11:32.389 ambitious six -day shooting schedule. The film 00:11:32.389 --> 00:11:34.450 left unfinished because of post -production issues. 00:11:34.789 --> 00:11:37.049 A big falling out with the producer. And it got 00:11:37.049 --> 00:11:39.850 released on DVD without his approval. Yeah, which 00:11:39.850 --> 00:11:42.549 is almost unheard of for a director. Yeah. But 00:11:42.549 --> 00:11:45.049 this early experience, it speaks volumes, right? 00:11:45.210 --> 00:11:47.779 Not just about his artistic integrity. but his 00:11:47.779 --> 00:11:50.120 commitment to quality, to his specific vision, 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:53.179 even when facing those huge pressures of indie 00:11:53.179 --> 00:11:55.480 filmmaking. So it wasn't just saying, I need 00:11:55.480 --> 00:11:57.679 integrity. It was like a defining moment that 00:11:57.679 --> 00:11:59.960 probably changed how we worked later. I think 00:11:59.960 --> 00:12:02.820 so, yeah. How did this specific failure inform 00:12:02.820 --> 00:12:05.450 his future methods? You could imagine it made 00:12:05.450 --> 00:12:07.490 him more cautious about choosing collaborators, 00:12:07.970 --> 00:12:10.129 maybe more meticulous in pre -production to avoid 00:12:10.129 --> 00:12:12.090 those rushed schedules. Or maybe more assertive 00:12:12.090 --> 00:12:14.929 about having final cut. Exactly. He's spoken 00:12:14.929 --> 00:12:16.730 about learning the importance of having full 00:12:16.730 --> 00:12:19.690 control, of not compromising his artistic vision 00:12:19.690 --> 00:12:23.129 under pressure. This experience, though probably 00:12:23.129 --> 00:12:26.070 painful, likely solidified his resolve to make 00:12:26.070 --> 00:12:29.190 films entirely on his own terms. It laid the 00:12:29.190 --> 00:12:31.409 groundwork for the highly controlled, precise 00:12:31.409 --> 00:12:34.039 filmmaking he became known for later. like with 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:36.200 the squid and the whale. A harsh lesson, maybe, 00:12:36.620 --> 00:12:39.919 but invaluable for creative autonomy. So after 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:42.139 those initial indie films, finding his footing, 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:45.059 learning some tough lessons, Balmbach really 00:12:45.059 --> 00:12:47.840 starts to forge his distinctive voice. And this 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:50.799 era also marks the start of some really key collaborations. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:53.279 Partnerships that would profoundly shape his 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:55.120 career. And maybe one of the most significant 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:57.779 early partnerships was with... Wes Anderson. 00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:00.840 Absolutely. A really significant creative relationship. 00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:02.860 Started with co -writing the Life Aquatic with 00:13:02.860 --> 00:13:05.220 Steve Zissou in 2004. Which immediately showed 00:13:05.220 --> 00:13:07.840 his versatility right. Stepping into Anderson's 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:10.059 very distinct stylized world and contributing 00:13:10.059 --> 00:13:12.860 meaningfully. Totally. Bringing his narrative 00:13:12.860 --> 00:13:16.539 sensibilities to Anderson's, you know, whimsical 00:13:16.539 --> 00:13:19.360 universe. And then they continued that partnership. 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:22.100 co -writing the critically acclaimed stop -motion 00:13:22.100 --> 00:13:25.799 animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox in 2009. Oh, 00:13:25.820 --> 00:13:28.659 I love Fantastic Mr. Fox. Such a critical darling, 00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:31.720 right? Top 10 lists, Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:35.120 nominations for best animated film. A huge critical 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:37.539 success. But interestingly, yeah, it wasn't a 00:13:37.539 --> 00:13:39.460 massive financial hit, was it? That's kind of 00:13:39.460 --> 00:13:41.779 a paradox. It is a curious financial paradox. 00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:44.200 Highlights that critical acclaim doesn't always 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:47.200 equal box office gold, especially for maybe a 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:49.559 more adult oriented animated film like that. 00:13:49.580 --> 00:13:52.100 But what really stands out about this creative 00:13:52.100 --> 00:13:55.159 synergy with Anderson is how it illuminates Boundback's 00:13:55.159 --> 00:13:57.659 unique ability to collaborate. It wasn't just 00:13:57.659 --> 00:14:00.200 Bomback adopting Anderson's style. No, it felt 00:14:00.200 --> 00:14:02.899 like a real melding. Exactly. Bomback brought 00:14:02.899 --> 00:14:05.059 his knack for sharp dialogue, those character 00:14:05.059 --> 00:14:07.700 neuroses that underlie emotional poignancy, and 00:14:07.700 --> 00:14:09.860 it perfectly complemented Anderson's deadpan 00:14:09.860 --> 00:14:13.139 humor, meticulous visual symmetry, and stylized 00:14:13.139 --> 00:14:15.320 whimsy. How did they work together, do we know? 00:14:15.700 --> 00:14:17.940 Apparently, they often work side -by -side in 00:14:17.940 --> 00:14:21.169 an office, suggesting this deep, iterative exchange 00:14:21.169 --> 00:14:23.769 of ideas. Baumbach helped develop characters 00:14:23.769 --> 00:14:26.429 that fit Anderson's aesthetic, but also had that 00:14:26.429 --> 00:14:28.730 rich internal life that resonates with Baumbach's 00:14:28.730 --> 00:14:31.529 own style. So this period really expanded his 00:14:31.529 --> 00:14:33.929 creative toolkit, proved he could collaborate 00:14:33.929 --> 00:14:36.549 without losing his own voice. Precisely. It showed 00:14:36.549 --> 00:14:38.889 his capacity for collaboration while keeping 00:14:38.889 --> 00:14:41.830 that distinctive narrative fingerprint. It's 00:14:41.830 --> 00:14:44.049 remarkable how that partnership let him explore 00:14:44.049 --> 00:14:48.920 different avenues. But then came his truly semi 00:14:48.920 --> 00:14:51.519 -autobiographical triumph, the film that really 00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:54.120 launched him and solidified his artistic identity, 00:14:54.759 --> 00:14:57.600 The Squid and the Whale in 2005. Yeah, that wasn't 00:14:57.600 --> 00:14:59.700 just a breakthrough. It was a deeply personal 00:14:59.700 --> 00:15:02.220 artistic statement. Earned him his first Academy 00:15:02.220 --> 00:15:04.559 Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:07.899 And deservedly so. It's a semi -autobiographical 00:15:07.899 --> 00:15:10.740 comedy drama, unflinchingly reflecting his own 00:15:10.740 --> 00:15:13.200 Brooklyn childhood and the profound, often painful 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:15.519 effect of his parents' divorce back in the mid-'80s. 00:15:15.559 --> 00:15:17.460 He said it was the first script he didn't show 00:15:17.460 --> 00:15:19.860 his parents, right? Yeah. Which speaks volumes 00:15:19.860 --> 00:15:22.159 about wanting to keep that raw personal experience 00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:25.440 his own, maintaining that subjective truth. It 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:27.700 starred Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney as the 00:15:27.700 --> 00:15:30.600 parents, just brilliantly capturing the intellectual 00:15:30.600 --> 00:15:33.419 vanity and emotional chaos of that crumbling 00:15:33.419 --> 00:15:35.820 marriage seen through the eyes of their two sons. 00:15:36.039 --> 00:15:39.059 And it was a hit. It became a critical and commercial 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:42.519 sleeper hit. won two awards at Sundance in 2005, 00:15:42.940 --> 00:15:45.379 got six independent spirit award nominations, 00:15:45.740 --> 00:15:48.980 three Golden Globe nods, and was voted best screenplay 00:15:48.980 --> 00:15:51.500 by the New York Film Critics Circle, LA Film 00:15:51.500 --> 00:15:53.779 Critics, and the National Board of Review. Quite 00:15:53.779 --> 00:15:57.019 the sweep. This film truly solidified his signature 00:15:57.019 --> 00:15:59.840 style. That poignant, often uncomfortably funny 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:02.539 exploration of dysfunctional families, the intellectual 00:16:02.539 --> 00:16:05.159 and emotional fallout of relationships, the search 00:16:05.159 --> 00:16:08.100 for identity, all deeply rooted in personal experience. 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:11.360 in the dialogue there. The characters are flawed, 00:16:11.419 --> 00:16:14.419 but so relatable. Totally. Like that scene where 00:16:14.419 --> 00:16:16.879 the boys are discussing literary merit at dinner, 00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:20.139 or the older son's misguided attempts at artistic 00:16:20.139 --> 00:16:23.539 rebellion. It feels so authentically drawn from 00:16:23.539 --> 00:16:26.899 a specific, intelligent, yet emotionally turbulent 00:16:26.899 --> 00:16:28.639 upbringing. This is where many people would say 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:30.899 his distinctive voice really began to shine, 00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:33.779 marked him as a master of intimate, character 00:16:33.779 --> 00:16:36.759 -driven narratives that dissect modern intellectual 00:16:36.759 --> 00:16:39.299 anxieties with surgical precision. You can absolutely 00:16:39.299 --> 00:16:41.100 feel that personal touch, which is probably why 00:16:41.100 --> 00:16:43.259 it resonated so deeply. People saw their own 00:16:43.259 --> 00:16:45.740 families reflected, and he continued exploring 00:16:45.740 --> 00:16:48.440 those complex relationship dynamics with Margot 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:51.259 at the wedding in 2007, a dramedy starring his 00:16:51.259 --> 00:16:54.480 then wife, Jennifer Jason Lee, alongside Nicole 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:57.539 Kidman, Jack Black, John Turturro. Kibben plays 00:16:57.539 --> 00:17:00.120 Margot, an erotic, self -absorbed writer visiting 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:02.700 her estranged sister Pauline, played by Lee, 00:17:02.919 --> 00:17:05.700 just before Pauline's wedding. All sorts of family 00:17:05.700 --> 00:17:08.259 tensions boil over. Shot in Hampton Bays and 00:17:08.259 --> 00:17:10.900 City Island Bronx, still keeping it in his New 00:17:10.900 --> 00:17:14.619 York milieu. Indeed. Margot at the wedding further 00:17:14.619 --> 00:17:17.779 deepened his exploration of complex family dynamics, 00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:21.720 especially sister -Lee relationships, envy, insecurity. 00:17:21.930 --> 00:17:24.509 It's another compelling example of his work drawing 00:17:24.509 --> 00:17:26.910 from and often intertwining with his personal 00:17:26.910 --> 00:17:29.490 life, a pattern we see continue. It captures 00:17:29.490 --> 00:17:32.109 that specific brand of intellectual discomfort 00:17:32.109 --> 00:17:35.029 and emotional rawness again. Exactly. And it's 00:17:35.029 --> 00:17:37.410 interesting. Around this time, he also did that 00:17:37.410 --> 00:17:40.569 brief foray into TV, co -wrote and co -produced 00:17:40.569 --> 00:17:42.710 those shorts for Saturday Night Live in 2008. 00:17:42.849 --> 00:17:45.369 Oh yeah. Clearing the Air and New York Underground 00:17:45.369 --> 00:17:48.509 with Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Paul Rudd. Yeah. 00:17:48.619 --> 00:17:51.859 While brief, it shows his willingness to experiment 00:17:51.859 --> 00:17:54.000 with different formats, collaborate on comedy 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:57.359 beyond features. His distinct, often dry, observational 00:17:57.359 --> 00:18:00.019 humor, thriving on character specifics, witty 00:18:00.019 --> 00:18:03.039 dialogue would have been a natural fit for SNL's 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:05.200 sophisticated sketches. A small but telling example 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:07.740 of his broader scope as a writer. OK, now, if 00:18:07.740 --> 00:18:09.579 we're talking cute collaborations and pivotal 00:18:09.579 --> 00:18:11.579 turning points, we absolutely have to discuss 00:18:11.579 --> 00:18:14.079 the beginning of what became a truly transformative 00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:17.000 era for Noah Baumbach, the Greta Gerwig era. 00:18:17.339 --> 00:18:19.900 Absolutely pivotal. This partnership profoundly 00:18:19.900 --> 00:18:22.680 shaped the next phase of his career, both personally 00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:25.119 and professionally. And it all really began with 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:28.559 Greenberg in 2010. Right. Greenberg starred Ben 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:30.880 Stiller as Roger Greenberg, that anxiety ridden 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:33.799 guy in his 40s. Greta Gerwig played Florence 00:18:33.799 --> 00:18:36.210 Maher, the young personal assistant. Rezaifans 00:18:36.210 --> 00:18:39.049 was in it, too. The story was conceived by Baumbach 00:18:39.049 --> 00:18:41.789 and Jennifer Jason Lee, his then wife. Yeah. 00:18:42.130 --> 00:18:44.150 And the film got nominated for the Golden Bear 00:18:44.150 --> 00:18:47.789 at the Berlin Film Festival. But crucially, this 00:18:47.789 --> 00:18:50.349 marked his very first collaboration with Greta 00:18:50.349 --> 00:18:53.109 Gerwig, a key turning point. It's the moment 00:18:53.109 --> 00:18:56.390 their creative and personal worlds started intertwining 00:18:56.390 --> 00:18:58.349 in a way that would define so much of his later 00:18:58.349 --> 00:19:01.589 work. Exactly. Gerwig's unique screen presence, 00:19:02.029 --> 00:19:05.130 her naturalistic style, her inherent charm. It 00:19:05.130 --> 00:19:07.950 brought a new dynamic to Bomback's often neurotic 00:19:07.950 --> 00:19:10.630 world, a compelling counterpoint to Stiller's 00:19:10.630 --> 00:19:12.869 character. Her performance there undoubtedly 00:19:12.869 --> 00:19:15.630 caught Bomback's eye, showcasing her as a real 00:19:15.630 --> 00:19:17.970 creative force. And their collaborations just 00:19:17.970 --> 00:19:20.049 evolved dramatically from there, quickly becoming 00:19:20.049 --> 00:19:23.009 this defining partnership. He co -wrote Frances 00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:26.809 Ha in 2012 with Greta Gerwig, who also starred 00:19:26.809 --> 00:19:28.849 as that dancer navigating young adulthood in 00:19:28.849 --> 00:19:31.799 New York. A critical and artistic success, not 00:19:31.799 --> 00:19:33.920 just for the story, but for its distinct look. 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:36.720 Totally. Shot digitally, but in black and white. 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:40.359 A deliberate choice, right? Emulating Woody Allen 00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:42.940 and Gordon Willis, like in Manhattan. Yeah. CBS 00:19:42.940 --> 00:19:46.519 News even compared its style to Allen, Jim Jarmusch, 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:49.519 Francois Truffaut. Gives you that indie, European 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:51.980 -inspired vibe. And Gurek got a Golden Globe 00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:54.019 nomination for her performance. That black and 00:19:54.019 --> 00:19:56.400 white aesthetic was so deliberate, so iconic. 00:19:56.700 --> 00:19:58.839 It really matched the film's themes, didn't it? 00:19:58.920 --> 00:20:02.279 youthful longing, self -discovery, the romantic 00:20:02.279 --> 00:20:04.799 struggle of an artist in New York. Perfectly. 00:20:04.819 --> 00:20:06.980 It wasn't just nostalgic, like evoking the French 00:20:06.980 --> 00:20:09.640 new ways. It gave the film a kind of artistic 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:12.039 gravitas, elevating what could have been just 00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:14.740 a simple quarter -life crisis story. Technically, 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:17.240 using digital black and white gave it that sharpness 00:20:17.240 --> 00:20:20.000 too, serving the observational style while getting 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:22.920 that classic look. Exactly. It wasn't just a 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:26.039 style nod. It enhanced the emotional tone, emphasizing 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:28.180 the character's struggles and dreams with a kind 00:20:28.180 --> 00:20:30.740 of poetic simplicity. And this wasn't just a 00:20:30.740 --> 00:20:33.140 one -off. They continued working deeply together. 00:20:33.289 --> 00:20:36.569 Mistress America in 2015. Another one he directed 00:20:36.569 --> 00:20:39.009 and co -wrote with Gerwig, who also stunned. 00:20:39.869 --> 00:20:42.329 Similar themes, female friendship, ambition, 00:20:42.869 --> 00:20:46.250 disillusionment, but maybe faster paced, wittier. 00:20:46.690 --> 00:20:48.529 Premiered in Sundance again. And then jumping 00:20:48.529 --> 00:20:52.029 ahead to 2022, they reunited with Adam Driver 00:20:52.029 --> 00:20:54.670 for White Noise. Right, the adaptation of Don 00:20:54.670 --> 00:20:57.630 DeLillo's really challenging 1985 postmodern 00:20:57.630 --> 00:21:00.289 novel. released by Netflix, premiered at Venice, 00:21:00.849 --> 00:21:02.589 competed for the Golden Lion. The reviews for 00:21:02.589 --> 00:21:04.029 White Noise were kind of mixed, weren't they? 00:21:04.150 --> 00:21:07.130 They were. Fascinatingly so. Some critics loved 00:21:07.130 --> 00:21:10.269 its ambition, how faithfully it adapted Dalilo's 00:21:10.269 --> 00:21:12.970 dense prose and themes, consumerism, fear of 00:21:12.970 --> 00:21:15.670 death. Others felt maybe it lost some of Baumbach's 00:21:15.670 --> 00:21:17.470 signature emotional grounding in the process, 00:21:17.890 --> 00:21:20.349 became a bit too intellectual, maybe less character 00:21:20.349 --> 00:21:22.329 driven than his more personal work. A tough book 00:21:22.329 --> 00:21:25.750 to adapt. For sure. And then the absolute global 00:21:25.750 --> 00:21:28.809 phenomenon that was Barbie in 2023. Unbelievable. 00:21:29.309 --> 00:21:31.109 Bombeck co -wrote the screenplay with Greta Gerwig, 00:21:31.289 --> 00:21:33.829 who directed, starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Dossling, 00:21:34.049 --> 00:21:36.650 America Ferrera, monumental critical acclaim, 00:21:37.029 --> 00:21:40.269 $1 .4 billion worldwide gross. Just staggering 00:21:40.269 --> 00:21:43.369 numbers. And for their script, Bombeck and Gerwig 00:21:43.369 --> 00:21:45.789 got nominated for best adapted screenplay at 00:21:45.789 --> 00:21:48.589 the Oscars, best original at the BAFTAs, best 00:21:48.589 --> 00:21:51.730 screenplay at the Golden Globes. This incredible 00:21:51.730 --> 00:21:54.529 run of projects with Greta Gerwig, culminating 00:21:54.529 --> 00:21:56.869 in the massive kind of unexpected success of 00:21:56.869 --> 00:22:00.009 Barbie, it just highlights this truly dynamic, 00:22:00.490 --> 00:22:03.069 profoundly evolving creative synergy. From him 00:22:03.069 --> 00:22:05.710 directing her in Greenberg, to co -writing Frances 00:22:05.710 --> 00:22:08.069 Ha and Mistress America, then jointly writing 00:22:08.069 --> 00:22:10.779 Barbie with her directing. Their shared vision 00:22:10.779 --> 00:22:12.539 produced some of the most talked about films 00:22:12.539 --> 00:22:14.579 of the last decade. And what's so remarkable 00:22:14.579 --> 00:22:17.119 about that Barbie screenplay is how they infused 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:19.900 what seemed like a commercial property with such 00:22:19.900 --> 00:22:24.160 wit. sharp social commentary, genuine philosophical 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:26.380 depth. You can definitely hear Baumbach's voice 00:22:26.380 --> 00:22:28.559 in the dialogue, right? That precise self -aware 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:31.200 quality. Oh, absolutely. And his nuanced approach 00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:33.799 to character, even within that concept, he and 00:22:33.799 --> 00:22:36.259 Gerwig crafted a story that was wildly entertaining, 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:39.319 but also surprisingly profound, using humor to 00:22:39.319 --> 00:22:43.079 dissect complex themes. Gender, patriarchy, existentialism. 00:22:43.259 --> 00:22:46.579 It shows a filmmaker in Dombach totally open 00:22:46.579 --> 00:22:49.859 to profound collaboration, thriving on it even, 00:22:50.259 --> 00:22:52.779 letting his work expand into unexpected commercially 00:22:52.779 --> 00:22:55.960 successful areas, but still keeping his voice. 00:22:56.119 --> 00:22:58.740 Yeah, it's rare to see such a sustained evolving 00:22:58.740 --> 00:23:00.900 and successful creative partnership like that. 00:23:01.079 --> 00:23:04.259 especially one spanning such a range from intimate 00:23:04.259 --> 00:23:06.859 black and white Indies to a global pop culture 00:23:06.859 --> 00:23:09.640 sensation, speaks volumes about their mutual 00:23:09.640 --> 00:23:11.460 respect and understanding. And what makes it 00:23:11.460 --> 00:23:13.960 even more remarkable is how his personal life 00:23:13.960 --> 00:23:16.799 with Greta Gerwig has intertwined with their 00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:19.880 professional output. Their romantic and creative 00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:22.940 collaboration started in late 2011 after they 00:23:22.940 --> 00:23:25.440 met Making Greenberg. They have two sons now, 00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:29.119 born in March 2019 and February 2023. And after 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:31.069 12 years together, they They finally got married 00:23:31.069 --> 00:23:33.549 in December 2023 at New York City Hall. It's 00:23:33.549 --> 00:23:35.970 fascinating how their personal lives mirrored 00:23:35.970 --> 00:23:38.349 and influenced their professional work, creating 00:23:38.349 --> 00:23:40.410 this fertile ground. It really is. It's not just 00:23:40.410 --> 00:23:42.910 a working relationship. It's clearly this deep 00:23:42.910 --> 00:23:45.109 personal connection that enriches their creative 00:23:45.109 --> 00:23:47.390 dialogue, allows them to explore themes with 00:23:47.390 --> 00:23:50.210 an honesty and nuance maybe not possible otherwise. 00:23:50.470 --> 00:23:53.390 Their shared experiences, growing family observations, 00:23:53.670 --> 00:23:56.529 it must feed into their writing, giving the stories 00:23:56.529 --> 00:23:59.490 that lived in authenticity. Definitely. The powerful 00:23:59.490 --> 00:24:02.009 testament to how art and life can feed each other. 00:24:02.150 --> 00:24:04.690 Creating a body of work that feels both deeply 00:24:04.690 --> 00:24:07.509 personal and universally resonant. Your ability 00:24:07.509 --> 00:24:10.210 to balance personal milestones with such prolific, 00:24:10.650 --> 00:24:13.670 acclaimed, creative output is genuinely inspiring. 00:24:14.089 --> 00:24:17.170 OK. So moving into the 2010s, alongside that 00:24:17.170 --> 00:24:19.670 evolving collaboration with Gerwig, Boneback 00:24:19.670 --> 00:24:22.990 kept exploring deeper themes, family, relationships. 00:24:24.190 --> 00:24:26.289 existentialism in his acclaimed individual projects 00:24:26.289 --> 00:24:29.049 too. Like in 2014, he gave us While We're Young, 00:24:29.490 --> 00:24:31.950 that sharp comedy drama with Ben Stiller, Naomi 00:24:31.950 --> 00:24:34.789 Watts, Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried. And While 00:24:34.789 --> 00:24:37.049 We're Young was a significant commercial milestone 00:24:37.049 --> 00:24:38.690 for him, actually. Became his highest -grossing 00:24:38.690 --> 00:24:40.910 film in the US up to that point. Outperformed 00:24:40.910 --> 00:24:42.650 all his previous individual films. Why do you 00:24:42.650 --> 00:24:45.029 think that resonated so much? Well, it tapped 00:24:45.029 --> 00:24:47.710 into a very relatable generational anxiety, didn't 00:24:47.710 --> 00:24:50.150 it? Observing the dynamics between older couples 00:24:50.150 --> 00:24:52.950 in their 40s grappling with feeling stuck and 00:24:52.950 --> 00:24:55.750 these younger, seemingly more authentic, ambitious 00:24:55.750 --> 00:24:58.650 millennials. Right, that exploration of authenticity, 00:24:59.349 --> 00:25:02.230 appropriation, aging in a youth -obsessed culture. 00:25:02.470 --> 00:25:05.559 Exactly. his growing ability to connect with 00:25:05.559 --> 00:25:08.059 a broader audience while still delivering his 00:25:08.059 --> 00:25:10.539 signature wit and incisive insights into human 00:25:10.539 --> 00:25:14.720 flaws. That generational clash, embodied by meticulous 00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:17.759 Ben Stiller and free -spirited Adam Driver, felt 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:22.059 both funny and painfully true. And then in 2015, 00:25:22.220 --> 00:25:24.650 a bit of a departure, The Palma. The documentary 00:25:24.650 --> 00:25:27.369 he co -directed with Jake Paltrow premiered at 00:25:27.369 --> 00:25:29.670 Venice. Not a fictional narrative, but a deep 00:25:29.670 --> 00:25:32.069 dive into another filmmaker. Yeah, that's a really 00:25:32.069 --> 00:25:34.250 telling project about Bomback's own engagement 00:25:34.250 --> 00:25:36.450 with the craft and history of film. Why Brian 00:25:36.450 --> 00:25:38.769 De Palma specifically? What does it reveal about 00:25:38.769 --> 00:25:41.210 Bomback? Well, De Palma is essentially just long 00:25:41.210 --> 00:25:43.210 interviews with the iconic director, recounting 00:25:43.210 --> 00:25:46.130 his career methods, controversies. Bomback and 00:25:46.130 --> 00:25:48.509 Paltrow, both admirers. Just let him talk, creating 00:25:48.509 --> 00:25:50.970 this intimate portrait. So making a doc about 00:25:50.970 --> 00:25:53.009 a filmmaker like De Palma known for technical 00:25:53.009 --> 00:25:55.819 virtue. stylistic flourishes, often divisive 00:25:55.819 --> 00:25:58.119 career. It shows bombbacks for tech for cinematic 00:25:58.119 --> 00:26:01.519 history. Deep respect, yeah. And for the process 00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:04.849 of creation. It shows his interests go beyond 00:26:04.849 --> 00:26:07.369 just his own stories. He's profoundly rooted 00:26:07.369 --> 00:26:10.230 in understanding and appreciating the broader 00:26:10.230 --> 00:26:12.789 cinematic landscape, the minds of his artistic 00:26:12.789 --> 00:26:15.190 predecessors. It's almost like a masterclass 00:26:15.190 --> 00:26:17.730 in filmmaking by proxy. Highlights his versatility 00:26:17.730 --> 00:26:20.849 to working across genres, even documentary shows 00:26:20.849 --> 00:26:23.829 that intellectual curiosity about artistic output. 00:26:23.970 --> 00:26:26.380 Exactly. But he returned to those fractured family 00:26:26.380 --> 00:26:28.640 dynamics he portrays so brilliantly with The 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:31.559 Meyerowitz Stories, new and selected in 2017, 00:26:32.059 --> 00:26:34.420 released on Netflix, competed for the Palme d 00:26:34.420 --> 00:26:37.720 'Or icon. The Meyerowitz Stories truly embodies 00:26:37.720 --> 00:26:41.460 that quintessential Bombachian theme. The fractured, 00:26:41.720 --> 00:26:44.000 highly articulate, deeply dysfunctional family. 00:26:44.460 --> 00:26:46.960 Incredible ensemble cast Dustin Hoffman as the 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:49.680 domineering, artistically frustrated patriarch 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:52.579 Harold. With Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Emma 00:26:52.579 --> 00:26:55.369 Thompson as his kids and wife. Yeah. The film 00:26:55.369 --> 00:26:57.549 focuses on those emotional complexities. The 00:26:57.549 --> 00:26:59.710 lingering resentment simmering between siblings 00:26:59.710 --> 00:27:02.390 navigating their dad's huge personality and artistic 00:27:02.390 --> 00:27:05.390 failures. Critically, it did really well. Overwhelmingly 00:27:05.390 --> 00:27:09.789 positive reviews. 92 % on Rotten Tomatoes. The 00:27:09.789 --> 00:27:12.470 consensus noted how it observes the family dynamic 00:27:12.470 --> 00:27:15.190 through writer -director Noah Baumbach's bittersweet 00:27:15.190 --> 00:27:17.849 lens and the impressive efforts of a remarkable 00:27:17.849 --> 00:27:22.109 cast. But a critic gave it a 79 generally favorable 00:27:22.109 --> 00:27:25.170 reviews. What's unique about his portrayal of 00:27:25.170 --> 00:27:27.150 that family? It's not just their dysfunction, 00:27:27.309 --> 00:27:29.490 it's how he captures their intellectual pretension 00:27:29.490 --> 00:27:32.109 alongside their profound emotional vulnerability. 00:27:32.829 --> 00:27:35.680 The dialogue is sharp. overlapping, full of unspoken 00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:37.880 history, passive aggressive jabs. And releasing 00:27:37.880 --> 00:27:40.019 it on Netflix was significant too, right? Gave 00:27:40.019 --> 00:27:43.079 it a huge platform. Massive global platform exposed 00:27:43.079 --> 00:27:45.819 his work even more broadly, solidified his relationship 00:27:45.819 --> 00:27:48.519 with Netflix. This film really cemented his reputation 00:27:48.519 --> 00:27:50.819 for keenly observing the intricate complexities 00:27:50.819 --> 00:27:53.420 of family, often with that blend of humor and 00:27:53.420 --> 00:27:55.640 pathos that feels incredibly authentic, makes 00:27:55.640 --> 00:27:57.880 you laugh and wince in recognition. And then 00:27:57.880 --> 00:28:00.519 in 2019, what many consider one of his most powerful 00:28:00.519 --> 00:28:03.740 acclaimed films. Marriage Story. Ah, yes. He 00:28:03.740 --> 00:28:05.740 wrote, produced, and directed this incredibly 00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:08.559 meticulous, emotionally raw film, a devastating 00:28:08.559 --> 00:28:11.640 yet tender portrayal of divorce. Marriage Story 00:28:11.640 --> 00:28:14.599 truly dives headfirst into that emotional journey 00:28:14.599 --> 00:28:17.549 of a show business couple. A theater director, 00:28:17.710 --> 00:28:20.730 an actress navigating the painful, often absurd 00:28:20.730 --> 00:28:23.210 process of divorce. Adam Driver and Scarlett 00:28:23.210 --> 00:28:25.829 Johansson in just career -defining roles. Absolutely. 00:28:26.430 --> 00:28:29.069 And exceptional support from Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, 00:28:29.190 --> 00:28:31.769 Laura Dern as the lawyers involved. It premiered 00:28:31.769 --> 00:28:34.990 to great acclaim at Venice. Many critics ranked 00:28:34.990 --> 00:28:38.019 it among his best. if not the best. Mark Kermode 00:28:38.019 --> 00:28:40.619 at The Guardian called it, simply Bomback's best 00:28:40.619 --> 00:28:43.240 film to date, insightful, sympathetic, and rather 00:28:43.240 --> 00:28:46.059 beautifully bewildered. Drew comparisons to Annie 00:28:46.059 --> 00:28:49.339 Hall, Kramer versus Kramer, even LeGrand Delusia. 00:28:49.460 --> 00:28:52.220 High praise indeed. And the film got six Oscar 00:28:52.220 --> 00:28:55.220 nominations, including best picture and Bomback's 00:28:55.220 --> 00:28:57.940 second for best original screenplay. Laura Dern 00:28:57.940 --> 00:28:59.960 deservedly won best supporting actress for that 00:28:59.960 --> 00:29:01.920 memorable turn as the ruthless divorce lawyer. 00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:04.299 What's fascinating is how he keeps returning 00:29:04.299 --> 00:29:07.200 to these themes, family, relationships, identity, 00:29:07.500 --> 00:29:09.960 often drawing from personal experience. His own 00:29:09.960 --> 00:29:11.960 divorce from Jennifer Jason Lee was finalized 00:29:11.960 --> 00:29:14.539 in 2013, right? Provides a powerful parallel 00:29:14.539 --> 00:29:17.579 for marriage story. It does. He has this incredible 00:29:17.579 --> 00:29:20.220 ability to take these deeply personal narratives 00:29:20.220 --> 00:29:23.559 and elevate them into universally resonant stories. 00:29:24.170 --> 00:29:27.450 allows us to see ourselves reflected in the character's 00:29:27.450 --> 00:29:29.890 struggles, triumphs, particularly the pain of 00:29:29.890 --> 00:29:32.369 separation and the enduring love that can persist 00:29:32.369 --> 00:29:35.130 even after a relationship ends. And with Marriage 00:29:35.130 --> 00:29:37.509 Story, he achieved that rare feat, sweeping the 00:29:37.509 --> 00:29:40.609 big four critics awards for screenplay. L .A., 00:29:40.609 --> 00:29:43.089 National Board of Review, New York, National 00:29:43.089 --> 00:29:45.690 Society of Film Critics. Truly remarkable achievement. 00:29:45.789 --> 00:29:48.170 underscores the profound impact of his writing. 00:29:48.450 --> 00:29:50.750 Incredible recognition for such an intimate story 00:29:50.750 --> 00:29:53.049 really highlights how his personal experiences 00:29:53.049 --> 00:29:56.269 fuel such universal impactful narratives. So 00:29:56.269 --> 00:29:59.049 let's talk broader picture. What defines bomb 00:29:59.049 --> 00:30:01.710 box filmmaking style and who are the enduring 00:30:01.710 --> 00:30:04.710 influences shaping his unique voice? Well, at 00:30:04.710 --> 00:30:06.930 a glance, he's often known for making quote light 00:30:06.930 --> 00:30:09.670 comedies set in New York City. There's also that 00:30:09.670 --> 00:30:12.269 clear affinity for writing about the East Coast 00:30:12.269 --> 00:30:15.279 elite. intellectual, artistic, often self -aware 00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:17.599 to a fault. And those elements aren't just superficial, 00:30:17.779 --> 00:30:20.079 right? They create a specific social, intellectual 00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:22.819 backdrop. Exactly. Yeah. It allows for that sharp, 00:30:22.980 --> 00:30:25.559 witty, often neurotic dialogue and observational 00:30:25.559 --> 00:30:28.319 humor he's recognized for. His New York isn't 00:30:28.319 --> 00:30:31.440 just scenery. It's a character enabling a certain 00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:35.019 kind of conversation, aspiration. specific set 00:30:35.019 --> 00:30:37.480 of anxieties. Think of the city's intellectual 00:30:37.480 --> 00:30:40.599 capital as both a dream and a cage for his characters. 00:30:40.839 --> 00:30:43.599 And his cinematic influences. It's like a curated 00:30:43.599 --> 00:30:46.859 tour through film history. Woody Allen, he said, 00:30:46.980 --> 00:30:49.160 was the single biggest pop culture influence 00:30:49.160 --> 00:30:52.440 on me, citing Manhattan, Zellig, Broadway, Danny 00:30:52.440 --> 00:30:56.000 Rose. Then with Stillman, another key inspiration 00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:58.779 for his distinct voice, those comedies of manners. 00:30:59.019 --> 00:31:01.500 But it doesn't stop there. Ernst Lubitsch, Max 00:31:01.500 --> 00:31:03.839 Ophuls, Jean Renoir from the French New Wave, 00:31:04.299 --> 00:31:06.339 Robert Altman, Peter Bogdanovich, Spike Lee, 00:31:06.539 --> 00:31:09.299 even Spielberg, as we discussed. Plus those screwball 00:31:09.299 --> 00:31:11.500 comedies from the 30s and 40s. Which raises an 00:31:11.500 --> 00:31:13.039 important question for you, the listener, and 00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:15.759 for us. How do these incredibly diverse influences, 00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:18.039 the wit of Alan and Stillman, the elegance of 00:31:18.039 --> 00:31:20.259 European masters, Altman's ensemble dynamics, 00:31:20.599 --> 00:31:22.660 Spielberg's emotional core, how do they meld 00:31:22.660 --> 00:31:24.579 together to create Bombach's unique blend of 00:31:24.579 --> 00:31:27.259 humor, pathos, and keen observation? It's not 00:31:27.259 --> 00:31:29.579 imitation, it's synthesis. Right. Resulting in 00:31:29.579 --> 00:31:32.299 something new. Totally. You can see Alan's rapid 00:31:32.299 --> 00:31:35.160 -fire, self -deprecating dialogue in New York 00:31:35.160 --> 00:31:37.539 anxieties and early stuff like Kicking and Screaming 00:31:37.539 --> 00:31:40.920 or Greenberg. Lubich's elegant, bittersweet comedies 00:31:40.920 --> 00:31:43.759 echo in Baumbach's balance of humor and melancholic 00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:46.420 truths about relationships. Where do you see 00:31:46.420 --> 00:31:49.579 the screwball timing in the modern dialogue? 00:31:49.839 --> 00:31:52.240 Often in the quick witty exchanges, yeah. The 00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:54.359 clever inversions, the way characters talk past 00:31:54.359 --> 00:31:57.420 each other, with precise comedic rhythm, like 00:31:57.420 --> 00:32:00.119 rubble sparring almost. He draws from this wide, 00:32:00.200 --> 00:32:03.240 rich palette to paint his particular human dramas 00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:05.960 intellectually stimulating, deeply emotional, 00:32:06.460 --> 00:32:09.549 often very funny. but always unmistakably his 00:32:09.549 --> 00:32:11.970 own. And beyond the visual and narrative, he 00:32:11.970 --> 00:32:13.970 clearly puts a lot of thought into the sound, 00:32:14.190 --> 00:32:16.569 the music. He's a fan of electronic acts like 00:32:16.569 --> 00:32:18.990 New Order and OMD, right? Wanted to evoke them 00:32:18.990 --> 00:32:20.890 for Mr. Samerica's soundtrack. Yeah, and he's 00:32:20.890 --> 00:32:23.369 also cited David Bowie, Paul McCartney, the atmospheric 00:32:23.369 --> 00:32:26.529 film scores of Tangerine Dream, and Georges Delarue 00:32:26.529 --> 00:32:29.089 as important. Which shows how deeply he considers 00:32:29.089 --> 00:32:32.130 the auditory landscape. Music isn't just an afterthought. 00:32:32.410 --> 00:32:35.279 No, he uses it strategically. enhances emotional 00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:38.039 tone, underscores internal feelings, reflects 00:32:38.039 --> 00:32:40.759 the character's inner worlds. For Mistress America, 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:43.180 that electronic music wasn't arbitrary. It perfectly 00:32:43.180 --> 00:32:47.019 captured the film's blend of 80s nostalgia, contemporary 00:32:47.019 --> 00:32:50.079 angst, New York's propulsive energy. Provided 00:32:50.079 --> 00:32:52.980 that cool, detached, yet emotional backdrop. 00:32:53.240 --> 00:32:55.599 Exactly. Resonated with the themes of aspiration 00:32:55.599 --> 00:32:58.900 and disillusionment. And Tangerine Dream, Delarue. 00:32:59.099 --> 00:33:01.599 suggest an appreciation for music that creates 00:33:01.599 --> 00:33:04.819 specific atmosphere and mood, enriching the emotional 00:33:04.819 --> 00:33:07.759 subtext without being manipulative, is another 00:33:07.759 --> 00:33:10.720 layer of his meticulous approach, ensuring every 00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:13.470 element contributes to the overall impact. crafting 00:33:13.470 --> 00:33:16.289 a truly immersive experience. So after such a 00:33:16.289 --> 00:33:18.789 prolific, acclaimed career, full of evolution 00:33:18.789 --> 00:33:21.329 and collaboration, what's next for Noah Baumbach? 00:33:21.529 --> 00:33:23.710 The future looks just as busy, just as intriguing. 00:33:23.930 --> 00:33:25.849 Some compelling projects on the horizon. His 00:33:25.849 --> 00:33:29.309 upcoming film, Jay Kelly, set for 2025. His fourth 00:33:29.309 --> 00:33:31.450 for Netflix, currently in post -production. And 00:33:31.450 --> 00:33:33.410 it's described as a coming -of -age story about 00:33:33.410 --> 00:33:35.710 adults, which sounds very Baumbachian, doesn't 00:33:35.710 --> 00:33:38.950 it? Totally. Exploring identity, growth, self 00:33:38.950 --> 00:33:41.599 -discovery. but for people who are supposedly 00:33:41.599 --> 00:33:44.559 grown up, but still figuring things out. And 00:33:44.559 --> 00:33:47.480 a fantastic cast, Jorda Clooney and Adam Sandler, 00:33:47.799 --> 00:33:50.759 two actors bringing both comedy and drama. He 00:33:50.759 --> 00:33:52.779 co -wrote it with Emily Mortimer, produced by 00:33:52.779 --> 00:33:55.880 David Heyman and Amy Veskow. Netflix boss Scott 00:33:55.880 --> 00:33:58.599 Stuber called it an excellent kind of Jerry Maguire 00:33:58.599 --> 00:34:01.970 -esque, a really great... Life -affirming movie. 00:34:02.230 --> 00:34:04.230 Life -affirming. That's interesting. What might 00:34:04.230 --> 00:34:06.490 this signify for his evolving narrative interests? 00:34:06.829 --> 00:34:09.630 Will it be more optimistic? Maybe? Still deeply 00:34:09.630 --> 00:34:12.010 observed, complex, but maybe moving beyond some 00:34:12.010 --> 00:34:14.170 of the more overtly dysfunctional dynamics. The 00:34:14.170 --> 00:34:16.469 life -affirming bit suggests maybe more hope 00:34:16.469 --> 00:34:19.050 or resolution, an interesting evolution for a 00:34:19.050 --> 00:34:21.510 filmmaker so good at portraying struggle. And 00:34:21.510 --> 00:34:23.610 how will Clooney and Sandler, known for broader 00:34:23.610 --> 00:34:26.730 work, adapt to Baumbach's precise, understated 00:34:26.730 --> 00:34:29.710 style? It's a tantalizing prospect. It really 00:34:29.710 --> 00:34:31.889 is. Feels like a natural progression, exploring 00:34:31.889 --> 00:34:35.269 that next chapter of adult anxieties. And in 00:34:35.269 --> 00:34:37.469 another incredibly exciting development, his 00:34:37.469 --> 00:34:40.610 unpublished memoir was acquired by Knopf in 2023. 00:34:41.030 --> 00:34:44.460 Wow. Okay, given his deeply semi -autobiographical 00:34:44.460 --> 00:34:47.920 approach, what invaluable insights might a memoir 00:34:47.920 --> 00:34:51.039 from Baumbach offer us into his creative process, 00:34:51.380 --> 00:34:53.460 personal experiences, inspirations? It feels 00:34:53.460 --> 00:34:55.579 like the ultimate deep dive into the mind of 00:34:55.579 --> 00:34:58.119 a filmmaker who's always blurred the lines between 00:34:58.119 --> 00:35:00.960 life and art. We might get unprecedented access 00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:03.440 to the wellspring of his storytelling. Learn 00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:05.719 more about those formative Brooklyn years, his 00:35:05.719 --> 00:35:08.139 parents' influence, the challenges of early indie 00:35:08.139 --> 00:35:10.960 filmmaking, the dynamics of his creative partnership. 00:35:10.829 --> 00:35:13.489 A behind the scenes look not just at the films, 00:35:13.829 --> 00:35:16.349 but at living a creative life. Reflections on 00:35:16.349 --> 00:35:20.369 his recurring themes. Family, love, loss. The 00:35:20.369 --> 00:35:22.170 search for meaning. Definitely something to look 00:35:22.170 --> 00:35:25.230 forward to. And looking ahead, in 2025 he was 00:35:25.230 --> 00:35:28.110 awarded the Telluride Film Festival Silver Medallion. 00:35:28.650 --> 00:35:30.730 A significant testament to his distinguished 00:35:30.730 --> 00:35:33.429 ongoing career. Shows his contributions are recognized 00:35:33.429 --> 00:35:36.250 at the highest levels. His impact clearly continues 00:35:36.250 --> 00:35:38.659 to grow. Well, we've truly journeyed through 00:35:38.659 --> 00:35:40.900 Noah Baumbach's remarkable career, haven't we? 00:35:40.980 --> 00:35:42.940 From those early Indie roots in Brooklyn, shaped 00:35:42.940 --> 00:35:45.260 so profoundly by his literary critical parents 00:35:45.260 --> 00:35:48.480 and those key college connections, to his breakthrough 00:35:48.480 --> 00:35:50.900 with the squid and the whale, laying bare his 00:35:50.900 --> 00:35:53.539 personal history. We've explored the incredibly 00:35:53.539 --> 00:35:56.300 fruitful, deeply personal partnership with Greta 00:35:56.300 --> 00:36:00.659 Gerwig, evolving from muse to co -writer, culminating 00:36:00.659 --> 00:36:03.780 in global hits like Barbie. Amazing trajectory. 00:36:04.119 --> 00:36:06.260 And through it all, we've seen how he consistently 00:36:06.090 --> 00:36:08.250 He consistently crafts films that are both deeply 00:36:08.250 --> 00:36:11.809 personal and universally relatable, infused with 00:36:11.809 --> 00:36:14.670 sharp wit, profound emotional depth, and that 00:36:14.670 --> 00:36:16.929 meticulous attention to the craft of storytelling. 00:36:17.210 --> 00:36:19.650 He has shown us with such clarity and humor, 00:36:19.989 --> 00:36:22.429 the absurdity and heartbreak in growing up, the 00:36:22.429 --> 00:36:25.329 messy dance of falling in love, the painful unraveling 00:36:25.329 --> 00:36:28.090 of falling apart, and the awkward, painstaking, 00:36:28.289 --> 00:36:30.869 but ultimately rewarding process of finding yourself. 00:36:30.929 --> 00:36:33.869 So as he moves into this new phase with a coming 00:36:33.869 --> 00:36:36.610 -of -age story about adults and Kelly, a memoir 00:36:36.610 --> 00:36:38.889 on the horizon, consider this, you the listener, 00:36:39.349 --> 00:36:41.570 what knew often uncomfortable but ultimately 00:36:41.570 --> 00:36:43.530 illuminating truths about the human condition, 00:36:44.030 --> 00:36:46.429 that ongoing, messy, beautiful process of figuring 00:36:46.429 --> 00:36:48.849 things out. What will Noah Baumbach reveal to 00:36:48.849 --> 00:36:51.750 us next? And how will his distinctive voice continue 00:36:51.750 --> 00:36:54.469 to evolve in this ever -changing cinematic landscape, 00:36:55.010 --> 00:36:57.030 always holding up that mirror to our most human 00:36:57.030 --> 00:36:57.530 experiences?