It's Complicated

From time to time Hollywood comes up with a surprise product and this movie is one of those surprises. This movie was actually good. It had an actual STORY. The movie is a comedy but has its serious moments too. Meryl Streep was great, Steve Martin was toned down in a support role, but the real star is Alex Baldwin whose presence props up this movie and transforms it into a good if not great cinematic work. As much as the director tries to make this movie a Meryl Streep vehicle, Mr. Baldwin steals the show. This has to be his best movie in years, maybe in his entire career. He is a combination of amusing, charming, and serious and whenever the movie starts dragging a "dose" of Mr. Baldwin is enough to get it back on track. What a wonderful performance by an excellent actor. Parts of the movie are hilarious, such as the bedroom scene with Ms. Streep, Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Martin (it's not what you think it is) but generally the humor tends to be at the level of chuckles instead of guffaws. Good movie, worth watching.

In the best work of her career Nancy Meyers presents the funny comedy, It's Complicated starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin.

This fast-paced, smart comedy is everything in a mature work that didn't succeed with films such as Something's Gotta Give. Meyers creates three authentic characters with sympathy and everyday qualities that make them identifiable and first-class writing genius.

The film tells the story of Jane (Streep), who's ten year post-divorce from Jake (Baldwin), who left her for a much younger woman, hasn't necessarily become water under the bridge. Trying to find some type of happiness in her later years, she meets Adam (Martin), a sensitive architect, who is designing her new kitchen and has had his fair share of divorce stories in the past. But when attending their son's college graduation, Jane and Jake find that everything is as simple as it once seemed.

The cast here is one of the best ensemble works of the year. Meryl Streep is naturalistic and in top form showing her sexier side at 60. Streep shows that she can still create a character from scratch and make the woman as real as anyone walking down the streets of New York City. It's one of her funnier turns in years.

Alec Baldwin, in one of his best performances to date, shows immaturity and careless can get you far in a film. Showing top comedic work, Baldwin seems in the hunt for Oscar recognition. His charm and magnetism is quite surprising as we haven't seen him give a performance this funny ever, not even in his hit sitcom "30 Rock." Steve Martin, who I have found overdoes his comedy in some of his later years in film is in control and utterly enjoyable. Martin shows a sensitive side reminiscent of his works in Roxanne and Parenthood, and finds an audience cheer with empathetic tendencies can get you right back to what you do best. It's a return to form for Martin.

John Krasinski, who plays Harley, one of Jane's daughter's fiancée, is totally hilarious and drives away from the comedy we once found funny in his "Jim" on NBC's hit sitcom "The Office." Krasinski, in many ways upstages some of the veterans on film as he steals a lot of the spotlight. Krasinski is an outstanding talent to watch out for in the near future as he branches out into more demanding roles.

It's Complicated couldn't have succeeded without Nancy Meyers finally showing what good writing can do with the right people, time, and effort put into place. It's the work of her career and she remains a dark horse for an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Though the film will definitely appeal to an older generation, the younger can appreciate the zeal and comical dialogue shared between the players. The film does run a bit long and loses some of it's spark in the finale act, but it's pure entertainment and a must-see of the holiday season.

"It's Complicated" is pretty simple, actually. Successful Californian food store owner Meryl Streep has been happily divorced from her former husband Alex Baldwin for the last ten years, but on a trip to New York to attend their son's graduation, she starts an affair with him. He happens to have re-married, to a younger woman, while she becomes involved with her architect Steve Martin. Will Meryl and Alec get back together again, or will she set off into the sunset with Steve. ​What will the children think? Do we care?

Well, not a lot. The lifestyle depicted is one in which everything is perfect, especially the cast's complexions. There are no human imperfections depicted, unless you count lust. All the characters, with the partial exception of Meryl, are stereotypes – people from Advertising land. In real life things are much more complicated.

That said, this is a superior piece of its type and it passes the watch test (I didn't look at my watch while viewing it). True, I could watch Meryl reading the phone book, and yes the dialogue was witty and the set pieces funny, and I had some guilty enjoyment from all the affluence. But really it was all too sweet, like Meryl's chocolate cake. Alex Baldwin does a passable LA lawyer while Steve Martin seems to be in the wrong movie.

Nancy Meyers is famous for tapping into a largely ignored market: middle-aged women. She acknowledges that women don't cease to exist after they grow older than Jessica Alba (anyone older than that loses their sex appeal in the eyes of movie studios, and that's the only thing that keeps audiences interested in these sorts of movies).

I am not a member of this market. However, I am open to movies to which I am not a targeted member. That, and I love Meryl Streep. I have seen Nancy Meyers' previous effort, "Something's Gotta Give," a movie that started out okay, but ended up being an overlong disaster that I hated. Still, this movie sounded promising, especially with Streep, who has never made a bad movie, so I checked it out. While it is certainly better than "Something's Gotta Give," it is nowhere near a complete success.

Jane (Meryl Streep) is a divorced mother of three, and an empty nester. Years after her divorce, she's finally gotten her life back together (or at least she thinks she does). However, her life is going to get a little...complicated. Her ex, Jake (Alec Baldwin) has just realized that he is still in love with Jane, and they ensue in an affair (which, ironically, was one of the reasons why they divorced in the first place). At the same time, she's also attracted the attention of her architect, Adam (Steve Martin). Now Jane has to balance these two romances out, and complications ensue.

Meryl Streep is widely recognized as one of the greatest actresses alive (and in my opinion, one of the best who ever lived). Yet with 13 Oscar nods, she hasn't done much in the way of comedy. She got a taste of it in last year's "Mamma Mia," but with this film, she gets to do some scenes that are openly funny. And she shows everyone that she can be just as successful in a comedy as a drama. Many of the film's comic scenes wouldn't be as funny without her. Her co-stars, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, are no stranger to being funny, and Streep manages to keep up with them. Speaking of, Baldwin and Martin are on the same level as Streep. Baldwin is equally good in the comic scenes as well the dramatic scenes, and so is Martin (surprisingly...he hasn't gotten much chance to do drama. Hopefully, this performance will signal a change, because he's got some good dramatic chops as well as comic aptitude). Had this film been better directed, they could have been looking at some Oscar nods. Special mention has to go to John Krasinski, because even though he became famous for the ultra-understated humor of "The Office," he is also great at more energetic humor too. Lake Bell has little to do than be a post-trophy wife that is often referenced, but not seen.

Nancy Meyers may have tapped into the market for middle aged women, but she's only at the top because she's the only one in it. Meyers is not an especially great screenwriter or director. The dialogue is nothing special, and her direction is flat, which renders the drama more inert than it should be. The comedy only works because of the actors, not Meyers; this should be construed as a compliment to Streep, Baldwin and Martin, since the comedy is not adequately set up. Many of the plot points exist because Meyers is trying to follow the formula of "romantic comedy," even if what happens doesn't make sense.

If you like Meyers' films, it's a film to check out. If not, I don't think its worth your time.

Well for a start this a familiar story to most movie lovers I guess. Divorced couple going through hard times in their new lives, coming together because of some family get together, refreshing their relationship and so on….. But should say its not anything boring, it has some real moments and good laughs.

Well after years of separation of separation much have changed. Maybe after all they have changed into the people they always wanted each other to be ? (This too seem to be the point most similar story movies trying to capture as well) So its all about decisions, there are also other factors such as their children, new partners, careers etc.

About the story of the movie I'm not going much into detail as it might ruin the movie for you. Well talking about the acting senior actors/actress do OK. Alec Baldwin & Steve Martin do a good job. But sometimes younger group seems to go over the top with over acting. Well maybe its not that bad, maybe its just me. Also when watching the movie all characters seems to be given with strict orders of what kind of stereotype he/she is. Especially the minor characters; for example take Harley - funny man in charge of comical department of the movie, Gabby – innocent/childish daughter, Adam - geeky architect , Agnes – evil woman (which is bit of a twist really, because after all she is the legal wife of the main character, who's having the affair with the 'good' woman).

One reason I watched the movie was its said to be a good comedy, and happy to say it really is. Even with serious events, there are few laughs around. Sometimes its obvious that comical part is bit detached and added artificially to the story. But it really tickles, so Harley has done a good job.

All in all as I said it's a familiar but interestingly done story, hilarious moments, good acting from the main lot. Even though the title says 'Its Complicated' movie it self is just an ordinary. ;) So in conclusion it's a good movie to watch.