“It’s Complicated”
Written and directed by Nancy Meyers; Stars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski and Lake Bell. Romantic comedy about a 50-something divorced woman who begins an affair with her remarried ex-husband just when she’s seemingly getting on with her life alone and when another gentleman caller arrives.
Seen December 23, 2009, by Adam Wohl
ADAM:
Really, it’s not. In fact, if you check your brain in at the door, you might enjoy the film better. At the cost of sounding like a softie, I do enjoy romantic comedies and I’ve written several. And while not exactly being long in the tooth, I’m not a fresh-faced twenty five year-old. So, I’m far, but not too far from the target demographic for Nancy Meyers’ “It’s Complicated.” Her last offering, “Something’s Gotta Give” was both a critical and box-office success (and not only because of baby boomers). While I’ve done my best to purge the image of Diane Keaton naked from my mind, what does linger from that previous film is the great dialog, the interesting characters, the great locations and set design and the fantastic performances from Keaton and Jack Nicholson.
“It’s Complicated” has virtually none of what made “Something….” so special. Though the interiors are magnificent to look at (if you’re into that type of thing), the script is very predictable and lacking in humor and originality – so much so that Meyers actually borrows from “Something…” in more than one instance. It’s a shame, because she has so much to work with as far as talent. Steve Martin (as Adam) is actually charming in his most restrained performance I’ve ever seen, but he simply has very little to do as the potential other man. Alec Baldwin (as Jake) is correctly cast as the smarmy stereotypical mid-life crisis delinquent ex-husband and Meryl Streep (who simply cannot do wrong) stars as the cheated on wife (Jane), who goes through a crisis of conscience about whether or not to have an affair with a married man (her ex), just when she seemed to be moving on with her life alone. Her solitary life is played out in metaphor by her decision to finally expand her home – including switching from double vanity sinks to a single one in her master, etc – and in executing the redesign, she meets Adam (her architect). Just as Adam is setting his sights on Jane, Jake breaks up with his trophy wife, Agness (played by Lake Bell), and the affair begins. The only complications truly arise when Jane divulges her exploits to her friends in two tiny scenes (I’m assuming a favor for Meyers as Alexandra Wentworth, Rita Wilson, and the incomparable Mary Kay Place are totally wasted otherwise) and through what is the only inspired humorous performance, turned in by John Krasinski as Jane’s son-in-law, who discovers the affair and is kept quiet by Jane and Jake to protect their children.
I fully understand the reason the movie was made – and not just because of the players involved – there is absolutely a market for a romantic comedy that explores singlehood into your fifties and beyond, and the idea of rekindling old fire. The problem here is that Nancy Meyers set the bar very high with her last film, and was given a pass with what was on the page going into day one of production on this one. I didn’t laugh much and not a hell of a lot seemed to happen in the movie. Simple. Not Complicated.
