Text - it's played in the most straight-faced fashion , with little humor to lighten things up . the heavy-handed film is almost laughable as a consequence .
Group - bluntness


Text - horns and halos benefits from serendipity but also reminds us of our own responsibility to question what is told as the truth .
Group - hatband


Text - yakusho , as always , is wonderful as the long-faced sad sack . . . and his chemistry with shimizu is very believable .
Group - hatband


Text - though certainly original in form , altar boys requires a taste for swamp thing-type animation , doubled with a deafening score .
Group - bluntness
Considreing the above, classify the following: funny , somber , absurd , and , finally , achingly sad , bartleby is a fine , understated piece of filmmaking .