Starring: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski
Certificate: 15
Runtime: 118 minutes
UK release date: 08 January 2010:
In a nutshell: This is not just a romantic comedy. This is a SAGA romantic comedy...
As Sinatra crooned, "fairytales can come true, it can happen to
you, if you're young at heart." In Nancy Meyers latest 50+ romantic
comedy, the youthful spirit is much in evidence but it's less about
the fairytale and more about the slightly bizarre love
triangle.
Jane (Streep) is doing okay. Her ex-husband Jake (Baldwin) may have
traded her in a few years back for a younger model but she's over
that, and she's raised three great kids and she's built a highly
successful bakery business. Life is, well, if not perfect, at least
acceptable. It is, however, about to get complicated.
Arriving in New York for her son's graduation, Jane is left at the
hotel while the younger crowd go off to party. She's not the only
one there alone: Jake is also dining solo. The split is now
amicable enough, so they sit at the bar and reminisce over their
kids over dinner and a glass of wine. And another glass. And
another, and another and several inhibition-removing bottles later,
they end up in bed.
And it's good. There's history, they know each other well, they're
more relaxed than they were - and so begins a rather strange affair
that leaves Jane as her ex's mistress. There is clearly no future
in it but it's hard to say no. Then, just to complicate matters
more, Jane finds herself drawn to Adam (Steve Martin), the
architect working on her property extension.
Meyers, who made What Women Want and Something's Gotta Give,
clearly knows her way around this genre and It's Complicated falls
into a similar warm and easy going groove that's genuinely funny.
It also means that this movie has the same flaws as its ancestors:
it's overlong and underdeveloped, and relies very heavily on the
quality of its leads.
That's no bad idea, of course, when you're talking leads of this
quality. Martin gets least to do but, given the distracting oddness
of his appearance (ageing badly? plastic surgery?) that's probably
just as well. It's left to Baldwin and Streep to carry
the film and carry it they do. Streep is a joy and, after years of
deeply committed performances and a variety of intensely studied
accents, it's so gratifying - and infectious - to see her simply
having fun on screen.
Even better though is Baldwin. He may not be the slender leading
man he once was but that 30 Rock rebirth has left him in the best -
and roundest - shape of his career. He's a gifted comic actor and a
perfect charming rogue, and this role showcases his talents
perfectly. When he's on the screen, It's Complicated sails close to
being a five star comedy gem. When he's not, the flaws are less
readily overlooked. Still, even with Meyers unable to avoid some
horribly mawkish moments, Streep and Baldwin combine to make this
is a frequently very funny and enjoyable diversion.
