MJ5K's Review

Summary - OK 2.5

Quite a bit of hype surrounded this movie. From Ben Stiller’s surprisingly serious performance(which one might compare to Adam Sandler’s in Punch Drunk Love) and the film’s very meloncholy tone. Well, that’s what I would expect from Noah “The Squid and the Whale” Baumbach. However, I found the film just as underwhelming as it was overwhelming.

The film centers around the title character(Stiller). He returns to LA after being released from a psyche ward in New York. He house sits for his brother and even has a little fling with his brother’s assistant Florence(mopey dopey Greta Gerwig). He also reunites with some old friends, including an old flame(played by Baumbach’s wife and the screenplay’s co-writer Jennifer Jason Leigh), and his old bandmates(one of them played by Rhys Ifans aka Adrian from Little Nicky), who are still upset with Greenberg since he screwed up a record deal for them.

A lot of what was being said about this movie was how unlikable Stiller’s character was. Well not only was his character unlikable, but I had a HUGE problem with the other characters in the film. As some of them were either just mean spirited, awkward, or just simply had no common sense. Greenberg treats just about every character like dirt and yet they still hang out with him and give in to his needs. If I were in their situation I’d be like Eric Cartman and say “Screw you guys, I’m goin’ home!”

Aside from my problems with the characters, the film has a lot of good qualities to it. The performances are strong. The characters and the dialogue felt very real and none of the relationships between the characters(while some were bitter) never felt forced.

Not a misfire, it barely missed its mark. But I’m sorry to say that wasn’t enough for me to push up a beam and say its a good movie. The characters are unlikable and the film feels awkward and utterly depressing. And that is what I always come to expect from Baumbach’s films. This cup of tea is not for everyone’s taste, but I’d say if you’re in the mood, its still worth a try.

Acting - Good 3.0

Though I wasn’t a fan of the characters, I still enjoyed the acting.

Stiller’s offbeat performance has garnered a lot of praise and it deserves it. He retains the awkward pauses from his Meet the…. movies and Tropic Thunder and uses the serious chops that helped make him a star in Reality Bites.

I was a bit dissapointed with Greta Gerwig’s performance. Many have said she’s quite a bright young star but she came off as whiney and had quite a bit of a pout to her performance.

As for the rest, they’re all sitting in a mixed bag that ranges from OK to just good.

Film - Good 3.0

Not much to say that I haven’t said in the summary. The dialogue(while awkward and depressing) did indeed feel real. The pacing of the movie was off at a few times. There are moments where nothing really happens and its quite boring. The soundtrack is probably the best aspect of the film as well as the way Baumbach uses his camera to depict the LA area.

Edge - Sordid 2.8

Reality - Natural 1.0

2 Comments

• MJ5K Aug 2, 2010 11:09PM

  Thank you very much, Wick. That means a lot.

• Wick Aug 2, 2010 10:30PM

  Regarding MetalJunky5000’s Review
  Tremendous review MJ! Tough, fair, and perceptive. Thus you’ve met the standard of the quality reviewer by being helpful to anyone thinking of whether or not to spend time watching this movie.

  FWIW, I sensed the movie was going to be roughly as you depicted it, then came across some professional reviews that praised it unduly. I still hung back, and now feel vindicated based on your trustworthy take.

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