Max Goldberg - "San Francisco Bay Guardian":

"How then do we account for this guided freewheel? Cinematography is, as always, at least part of the answer. The grainy 16mm black-and-white film stock isn't mere affectation but rather a functional stylistic element, underscoring the drab reality of the movie's unsettled spaces: apartments with everything secondhand and mismatched, unmade beds on nicked hardwood floors, and rooms that are either too big (making one fret over the lack of proper furniture) or too small (making one crouch). Bujalski and cinematographer Matthias Grunsky court these challenging spaces, always coming up with a revealing composition that frames characters in depth — splayed against walls or hunched in makeshift chairs."

G. Allen Johnson - "San Francisco Chronicle":

"Mutual Appreciation is even better. Bujalski's writing is so good, and every shot and edit seems exactly right. Hopefully, there will always be a place for a film like this on a theater screen, no matter the whims of the marketplace."

Joe Leydon - "Variety":

"If John Cassavetes had directed a script by Eric Rohmer, the result might have looked and sounded like Mutual Appreciation. Indie auteur Andrew Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha) has studied his mentors closely- Mike Leigh and Jim Jarmush are among his other obvious influences- and put whatever lessons he learned to good use in this unaffectedly naturalistic and appealingly quirky low- key comedy about twentysomethings in the process of inventing themselves. Fest- friendly pic should earn appreciative reviews and respectable B.O. in limited theatrical play."

Jay Seaver - "e filmcritic":

"It's an interesting style, especially combined with Matthias Grunsky's black-and-white cinematography. The effect reminds my of the French New Wave, in terms of interesting angles and scenes framed for conversation leaving things unsaid."

Peter Martin - "twitchfilm":

"Despite my personal reservations about the storylines, though, I cannot deny the casual artistry on display, an appealing amalgam of sound, dialogue -- once again convincingly enacted with non-professionals -- and the intentionally bleary, handheld, semi-doc look of cinematographer Matthias Grunsky, capturing some of the most endearingly daring black and white imagery in recent years."

You can find more articles on "Mutual Appreciation" at: www.mutualappreciation.com

"Once the film's relaxed, confident rhythms start to take hold, (Funny Ha Ha's) DIY plainness becomes an asset, syncing with dialogue so realistic that the camera seems plopped into a room without anyone noticing. Through an apparent mix of scripting and improvisational technique, Bujalski and his non-professional cast insert the 'kind ofs,' 'likes,' and 'you knows' that are part of casual conversation, but never make it into movie scripts. With this wonderfully de-stylized slacker-speak, Bujalski observes the awkward way people talk around the things most important to them, walling themselves up in apologies, non sequiturs, and a fumbling sort of passive-aggressiveness...(Kate Dollenmayer) carries herself with a modest, uncertain demeanor that's oddly irresistible and ingratiating; when one suitor tells her that 90 percent of the men she knows are in love with her, it's not that hard to believe...Everyone has been there before, but like a lot of scenes in Funny Ha Ha, the commonplace somehow seems invigoratingly original."

Matthew Ross- "indieWIRE":

"Funny Ha Ha is not just a beautifully made film, it's also a brave one. Writer/ director Andrew Bujalski and his cast and crew have succeeded in creating what most established independent filmmakers in this country claim to do all the time but hardly ever pull off-- they've made a film that dares to show life as it is really lived. At once tender and unsentimental, Funny Ha Ha deserves comparison to Mike Leigh's spectacular work for British television in the 70's and 80's."

"Reelingreviews":

"Funny Ha Ha looks and sounds like the low budget filmit is, but Matthias Grunsky´s in-the-action photography is just right for making the audience feel like a fly on the wall"

Wesley Morris- "The Boston Globe":

"Obvious: The film lacks polish. Inexplicable: That´s part of its charm. Bujalski has a bracingly unadorned style, and Matthias Grunsky´s handheld photography is actually quite lovely."

Amy Taubin- "Filmlink":

"To describe the camera style as fly-on-the-wall suggests something colder and more clinical than what Bujalski and his cinematographer, Matthias Grunsky, are up to. It´s more like a big-old-family-dog non-judgemental, occasionally excited point of view."

You can find more articles on Funny Ha Ha at: www.funnyhahafilm.com

Andrew Bujalski in an interview about Funny Ha Ha and Mutual Appreciation:

"Every single shot in both films is shot from the extremely steady shoulder of the brilliant DP, Matthias Grunsky. I believe Matthias is now slightly lopsided from the experience. The new film has slightly more lighting, but both are rather small. It is always my inclination to have as little equipment as possible around."