¨Dear Starbucks, in your attempt to manufacture culture out of fast food coffee you`ve been surprisingly successful for the most part. The part that isn`t covered by `the most part` sucks.¨
This line pretty much sums up Ben Stiller`s character, Roger Greenberg, as a man who is going through a mid life crisis and seems to complain about everything in life. Noah Baumbach, known mostly for his award winning movie The Squid and The Whale, directed this film, wrote the screenplay for it, and co-wrote the story along with Jennifer Jason Leigh who had a small role in the movie as well. Baumbach`s films are known mostly for having very rich and interesting characters that are developed really well. In this movie the character study is done well, although not as good as in his previous movies. The main point of his movie isn`t the story, it has more to do with introducing us to these rich characters going through ordinary situations. The problem with this film is that the first half is pretty slow and it takes a while for us to take interest in the characters, but the second half picks up once we get to know them and perhaps even identify some of our friends with them. Ben Stiller plays a different role in this movie just like Adam Sandler did with Punch Drunk Love, or Jim Carrey in The Majestic so don`t expect a laugh out loud movie or a Zoolander like role, because his character is pretty depressing, but Stiller still does a fine job.
Ben Stiller is Roger Greenberg, a man who is going through a mid life crisis and wants to sit back for a while and not do anything. He is angry towards society and finds a reason to complain about everything. If you ever worked at a company in the customer service department, then Greenberg would be the guy that keeps on sending those complaint letters. He is definitely unhappy about life and often wonders how different his life would have been if he signed that record deal with his band in his early 20`s. Roger has been living in NY, but he decides to return to LA to housesit his brother`s home who is leaving for Vietnam along with his wife and kids. In LA he befriends the family`s personal assistant, Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig), who has just come out of a long relationship and is about 15 years younger than him. She is nice and is going through that stage in life where she doesn`t know what her next step is going to be, but she admires Roger for not worrying about the conventions of society and feeling good with himself about not doing anything. The main point of the movie focuses on these two characters and their relationship, along with a few other supporting characters such as Ivan (Rhys Ifans), Roger`s friend and ex band member and apparently the only one who really talks to him because the rest are upset for him having broken off the deal with the record label. The main purpose of the film is the character study of Roger, his relationships with Florence and Ivan, and the story is not the important factor.
Greenberg might not be a film for everyone. It has a slow beginning and there is not much comedy or action going on. Fans of Baumbach will probably enjoy this movie, although they will find it a little less satisfying than his previous work. I still think this movie is very interesting and is worth a watch for the character study, Greta Gerwig`s performance, and for Ben Stiller who tries a different kind of role this time and does a good job. The pace of the movie is probably the weakest link, but it is still worth watching and seeing how these characters develop. Greenberg is a complex character, not a person we would really like to be friends with, but there is still something about him that we wish we could understand or comprehend. I tend to enjoy these psychological films and really ended up enjoying Greenberg, but I can understand how this movie might not be for all audiences. This is not your typical Hollywood movie with a fairytale happily ever after love story, but it is very realistic.
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