Movie Review: It’s Complicated
Friday, December 25, 2009
When (from left) Meryl Streep, Steve Martin,
Alec Baldwin and Lake Bell get together, it might get complicated.
Courtesy of Universal
It’s Complicated the new Nancy Meyers romantic comedy opening today and starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, is badly titled because it’s all really very simple.
The Adlers — Jane (Streep) and Jake (Baldwin) — have been divorced for 10 years. Jake has married Agness (Lake Bell), a hot young thing who is trying very hard to get pregnant. As the film opens, Jane has decided to redo her Santa Barbara home and Adam (Steve Martin) is the architect doing the job.
The Adlers’ grown children, Luke, Gabby and Lauren, along with Gabby’s financé Harley (John Krasinski), and Jane’s friends (character actors including Rita Wilson), all get involved along the way.
The complication of the title is the fact that Jake and Jane are having an affair and Adam and Jane are falling for each other.
The New York Times Magazine in a cover story Sunday asked in a cover article, Can Anybody Make A Movie for Women? and then profiled Nancy Meyers, the writer-producer-director of this film and said, in essence, “yes, she can.” And, while I don’t think it’s only a film for women and it is, best of all, a clear affirmation of the ability of a woman of a certain age (Streep) to be sexy, smart and appealing, it’s just not that complicating or, in the end, surprising.
The National Board of Review awarded this film it’s Best Ensemble citation for 2009. And they’re good. Jane is a woman of depth, charm, beauty. Like her, Jake is genuinely puzzled about what’s happening between them and is funny and charming. (Baldwin — who claimed a body double was used — even has a nude scene. Luckily, it’s not frontal, but rearal, and it’s all part of the fun.) Martin is sweetly earnest and we are reminded at times of his “wild and crazy guy” persona, so it’s great fun. John Krasinski has genuine comic talent and may be the big comedy star of his generation.
But, this ain’t complicated. It’s a straightforward love story and it is predictable. That doesn’t mean it’s not fun. Just that it’s all easy to figure out and to predict. Thee are some funny moments and the cast will draw lots of people into theaters.
My quibble with this movie lies in Meyers’ predilection for settings like The Hamptons (Something’s Gotta Give) and, in this film, Santa Barbara. These are beautiful place to live. But, today, in this economy, it seems kind of tasteless. I am very big on the suspension of disbelief (otherwise how could I have liked Avatar so much?) but the Adlers’ problems seem very insignificant when sent in the real issues of today’s world.
Of course, this is all meant to be fun and an affirmation of women of a certain age. So, I’ll just say if you like the people in it, if you like a pleasant laugh, you should see It’s Complicated You’ll have a nice time.
(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
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