Noah Baumbach’s writing and directorial oeuvre is impressive. If you’ve never seen Greenberg, The Squid in the Whale, or Frances Ha, get thee to a Netflix account pronto…or go to the theater and see his latest “While We’re Young” which is of a similar stature.
Every main character was believable (Watts, Stiller, Seyfried, Driver) and ever since the Walter Mitty debacle, I cheer for roles that highlight Ben Stiller’s talent. So cheek pinches for Baumbach and Stiller. Also gentle cheek pinches for Charles Grodin who looks particularly frail in age, albeit hearty in girth. Who didn’t love Grodin in his films ‘back in the day’, Midnight Run and The Heartbreak Kid just to name a few. And even now, he’s phenomenal as Louis CK’s curmudgeonly doctor.
And to show gender neutrality, Naomi Watts, who annoyed me as the Russian prostitute in St. Vincent, and often seems haughty in her roles, allows herself to show true vulnerability in this film.
What’s even better is there’s actually a thought provoking plot about the poetic license documentations sometimes take to show the ‘truth’ of real life. Yet another pensive topic is the idea of marriage, and of the work it takes to ensure things stay fresh. Stiller’s talent is he can make us laugh as his doofy exploits and still root for him in his occasional ‘boy who cried wolf’ indignation.
And while I still attempt to master Mail chimp in have a subscription link show up on the page, I can add you to a subscription list if you care to comment….pretty please with sugar on top?
