White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

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The Narrator Returns
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2011 6:35 pm

White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#1 Post by The Narrator Returns » Fri Nov 06, 2020 2:20 am

Baumbach's next film, another Netflix production, will have Greta Gerwig's first on-screen performance since 20th Century Women (alongside the now-expected Adam Driver casting).

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diamonds
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Re: Noah Baumbach

#2 Post by diamonds » Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:03 pm

The Narrator Returns wrote:
Fri Nov 06, 2020 2:20 am
Baumbach's next film, another Netflix production, will have Greta Gerwig's first on-screen performance since 20th Century Women (alongside the now-expected Adam Driver casting).
Turns out this is an adaptation of Don DeLillo’s White Noise. Production to possibly start in June.

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tolbs1010
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Re: Noah Baumbach

#3 Post by tolbs1010 » Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:16 pm

diamonds wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:03 pm
The Narrator Returns wrote:
Fri Nov 06, 2020 2:20 am
Baumbach's next film, another Netflix production, will have Greta Gerwig's first on-screen performance since 20th Century Women (alongside the now-expected Adam Driver casting).
Turns out this is an adaptation of Don DeLillo’s White Noise. Production to possibly start in June.
Very interesting. White Noise is a great book--hard to imagine it being made into a coherent film, though. Most of DeLillo's novels seem like a tough translation to screen, though Underworld deserves a limited series attempt.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Noah Baumbach

#4 Post by therewillbeblus » Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:34 pm

Hard disagree on Underworld. It's my favorite novel, but mostly because of the prose and unfilmable existential musings between the lines. An adaptation would suck all the life right out of it.

White Noise, on the other hand, could easily work- it's a mostly condensed, structured suburban satire, with plenty of opportunities for dry and absurdist social gags, and characters who have exteriorized presence. I'm not sure Baumbach is the right fit for the material, but he hasn't made a bad film yet so I'm holding out hope

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tolbs1010
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Re: Noah Baumbach

#5 Post by tolbs1010 » Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:46 pm

therewillbeblus wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:34 pm
Hard disagree on Underworld. It's my favorite novel, but mostly because of the prose and unfilmable existential musings between the lines. An adaptation would suck all the life right out of it.

White Noise, on the other hand, could easily work- it's a mostly condensed, structured suburban satire, with plenty of opportunities for dry and absurdist social gags, and characters who have exteriorized presence. I'm not sure Baumbach is the right fit for the material, but he hasn't made a bad film yet so I'm holding out hope
Fair enough. Notice I said 'attempt' on Underworld.

Americana, his first book, is probably my favorite of his, though it's not his most ambitious. The prose just flows. Definitely a young man's book, though. End Zone is my least favorite.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Noah Baumbach

#6 Post by therewillbeblus » Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:53 pm

I don't get what the word "attempt" has anything to do with it being a good idea or not to try, but it sounds like a "Get out of jail free" card for poor execution. What am I supposed to notice about the difference between "deserves a limited series attempt" vs. "deserves a limited series"?
Last edited by therewillbeblus on Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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tolbs1010
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Re: Noah Baumbach

#7 Post by tolbs1010 » Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:04 pm

That any attempt to film that novel would likely fail. But it's such a rich novel that I would hope some talented people could somehow make it work. Other 'un-filmmable' novels have been made into decent to great productions.

Your points about the comic/satiric potential in White Noise are well-taken.

I'm not aware of any other DeLillo film adaptations besides Cronenberg's Cosmopolis. I thought that was a decent 'attempt' even if it wasn't very well-received.

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: Noah Baumbach

#8 Post by The Narrator Returns » Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:49 pm

A previous report said that the next movie would be a "family drama" about siblings named "Fritz, Debbie, Megan, and Walker", an inspired cover-up not just because that sounds like the most generically Baumbachian movie ever but because all those names are pretty much 1:1 replacements for the names of Jack's children in White Noise ("Fritz" replacing Heinrich and "Walker" replacing Wilder is particularly amusing).

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Noah Baumbach

#9 Post by therewillbeblus » Thu Jan 14, 2021 12:03 am

tolbs1010 wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:04 pm
That any attempt to film that novel would likely fail. But it's such a rich novel that I would hope some talented people could somehow make it work. Other 'un-filmmable' novels have been made into decent to great productions.
When one says that a novel 'deserves an attempt' at adaptation, it's a statement that believes in taking that risk devoid of the outcome. I'd love to see talented people make it work too, but "deserve" is synonymous with justification for the attempt, so it seems like the position is that it's worth a try even if it fails. This is obviously a totally fine opinion to have, and a direct contrast to my own in this instance, but my question was how does asterisking the "attempt" portion function as tapping the sign against my statement? I get what you're saying now, but am genuinely confused on the context of your 'notice' which doesn't serve as a counterpoint to my misgivings.

I realize how pedantic this is, so I'm not really expecting an answer, but it's worth clarifying that my problem is with the logic of the retort rather than having an issue with you holding a different opinion. I also agree that other works that were defined in other instances as "unfilmable" were made into good films, but that doesn't mean that all works are legitimized for attempts at adaptation under blanket terms, or more specifically it doesn't mean that I think Underworld is justified, and seems totally unrelated other than existing under the large, abstract umbrella of Works Where People Expressed Doubt Over Adaptability.
The Narrator Returns wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:49 pm
A previous report said that the next movie would be a "family drama" about siblings named "Fritz, Debbie, Megan, and Walker", an inspired cover-up not just because that sounds like the most generically Baumbachian movie ever but because all those names are pretty much 1:1 replacements for the names of Jack's children in White Noise ("Fritz" replacing Heinrich and "Walker" replacing Wilder is particularly amusing).
I wonder if the inspiration for the project was triggered by COVID in some way due to the Airborne Toxic Event aspect to the plot and the meditation on Western fear of death, and I'm also curious if Baumbach will set it in the present day and make some adjustments to correlate this for more acute audience-identification rather than making it a period piece

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tolbs1010
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#10 Post by tolbs1010 » Thu Jan 14, 2021 12:29 pm

Sorry to get into a pedantic/semantic debate. My response was unclear and wasn't meant as a challenge to what you were saying. As you say, it's pointless.

I think we both can agree that DeLillo's novels present a challenge to anyone trying to adapt to screen.

beamish14
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Re: Noah Baumbach

#11 Post by beamish14 » Thu Jan 14, 2021 3:22 pm

tolbs1010 wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:04 pm

I'm not aware of any other DeLillo film adaptations besides Cronenberg's Cosmopolis. I thought that was a decent 'attempt' even if it wasn't very well-received.
DeLillo's original screenplay Game 6 was nearly made by Neil Jordan in 1991 before he rightly decided to do The Crying Game.

Regarding the potential of his books to translate to the screen, Amazons, his pseudonymous and co-authored 1980 work, would be a fantastic choice,
and if done right, could be a sports film for the age. It deals a lot with the hyper-commercialization of pro sports while balancing a lot of insights into
gender politics and how that influences male consumers.

I'm just happy we didn't get a Barry Sonnenfeld-directed White Noise, which nearly happened a few years ago.

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RitrovataBlue
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#12 Post by RitrovataBlue » Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:31 pm

I tried to write a screenplay based on White Noise when I was in college. Only got about three scenes in before hitting a wall. I'm not usually a Baumbach fan but I'm happy to see a DeLillo adaptation actually going into production. Wasn't Alex Ross Perry attached to a DeLillo at one point? He seems better suited to the material.

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TheKieslowskiHaze
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Re: Noah Baumbach

#13 Post by TheKieslowskiHaze » Fri Jan 15, 2021 10:53 am

tolbs1010 wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:04 pm
I'm not aware of any other DeLillo film adaptations besides Cronenberg's Cosmopolis. I thought that was a decent 'attempt' even if it wasn't very well-received.
The Body Artist was also adapted into a film.

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Black Hat
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#14 Post by Black Hat » Sun Jan 17, 2021 1:58 am

This is what happens when midbrow mediocrity gains enough confidence to be ambitious.

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knives
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#15 Post by knives » Sun Jan 17, 2021 8:44 am

True, DeLillo could never hope to be as great as Baumbach. :)

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domino harvey
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#16 Post by domino harvey » Sun Jan 17, 2021 11:41 am

Stop being right on the internet, knives, you’ll dilute your brand!

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knives
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#17 Post by knives » Sun Jan 17, 2021 11:59 am

Broken clock and all that.

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Black Hat
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#18 Post by Black Hat » Sun Jan 17, 2021 7:25 pm

Ha, I'm not even a huge DeLillo fan nor do I hate Baumbach. I mean the guy is pretty much the person I identify with the most and thus think I understand the best so maybe that's why I don't find him particularly insightful or interesting beyond a few light laughs. That said I'm surprised to find people here view his work as 'great'. I can see the appeal for DH given his fondness for French films, but if either of you feel like elaborating I'd love to hear it.

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knives
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#19 Post by knives » Sun Jan 17, 2021 7:38 pm

He makes emotionally fulfilling films that also make me laugh. The generalities of why he works for me aren’t terribly complicated.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#20 Post by therewillbeblus » Sun Jan 17, 2021 7:45 pm

I know the question isn't aimed at me, but I love Baumbach partly because I think he has a heightened awareness of the often dark complexity of the human condition, is not afraid to delve into uncomfortable levels of self-awareness and relentless critique, while holding an overall humanistic worldview. He identifies in part as a bit of a snobbish, selfish intellectual who engages in self-pity, but also an emotional person who wants to grow and participate in active self-betterment- acknowledging how the former qualities get in the way of the latter idealization. He exposes his own narcissistic traits in his characters while also feeling empathy for them without apologizing for their defects. I don't think all his characters are based off of him, but I think that he identifies with parts of many of them, and has genuine compassion for the kinds of people that would be two-dimensional in not only most movies but in most of our subjective schemas, as those unfair victims of the character-assassination judgments we make every day.

I also think DeLillo does something similar in his best work, but perhaps not the one knives has read

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knives
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#21 Post by knives » Sun Jan 17, 2021 7:50 pm

Now 2.

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Black Hat
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#22 Post by Black Hat » Sun Jan 17, 2021 7:57 pm

Ah so it seems like we're more or less on the same page. I was just surprised to see the word 'great', which in this place is like spotting bigfoot, tossed out there and then see another member concur.

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Black Hat
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#23 Post by Black Hat » Sun Jan 17, 2021 8:07 pm

therewillbeblus wrote:
Sun Jan 17, 2021 7:45 pm
but also an emotional person who wants to grow and participate in active self-betterment- acknowledging how the former qualities get in the way of the latter idealization.
Interesting. I don't see his work this way at all. In fact the absence of what I would call 'self awareness' is a very Manhattan day oner trait, usually rooted in NYC exceptionalism, I have come to find increasingly more repellent with age. Tho he's more well rounded, versatile, interesting and funnier I have difficulty with some Woody Allen films for the same reason.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#24 Post by therewillbeblus » Sun Jan 17, 2021 8:15 pm

Well I think he's brutally honest about how the negative traits cloud and block his emotional intelligence and that willingness to engage in a process of self-betterment, so honest that it's hardly visible under the sea of defects he admits are his defaults. Just because he wants this and can express such a wish when making art from a removed place of creative reflection doesn't mean he paints himself as one who practices it easily- in fact, the opposite, which I find admirable.

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domino harvey
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Re: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022)

#25 Post by domino harvey » Sun Jan 17, 2021 8:43 pm

Baumbach is our greatest source of interesting assholes in all of cinema. Beyond that willingness to invest in characters without sugarcoating their rough edges or making his films intolerable to sit through by leaning on the scale, I find his dialog witty and with few peers, and he's honed smart filmmaking instincts as he's matured

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