IT’S COMPLICATED is anything but

IT’S COMPLICATED is anything but

Feb 02

Don’t let the title of this romantic comedy scare you, It’s Complicated is anything but. If you are to be scared of anything, I’d recommend caution for the (once again) unnecessary length you must endure to reach the end credits.

I hate to harp on the duration of films today (I have done so in a number of pieces now) but some really do feel like they are unnecessarily long. I have no doubt It’s Complicated would have benefited from a 94-minute runtime, as opposed to the 120-minutes which honestly starts to feel like 160 as the film grinds on. And on. If the frequency of the plain-obvious character arcs and slightly-funny comedy moments were squished into ninety-odd minutes, instead of spreading them over two hours, It’s Complicated may have sustained a more entertaining quality. As it stands, I could feel the length, and that shouldn’t be the case.

I’m almost thirty years old, married with two kids– I can tolerate a decent romantic comedy. They’re not half as bad as the majority of the geeks in cybersapce make them out to be. They just don’t star Batman and do have girly romantic moments, is all.  I personally like that there are no superhero powers, space crusades or highly unbelievable action sequences required to guide me through. However, It’s Complicated fails to reach the status of ‘decent romantic comedy’, falling ever-so-short of fully delivering both the comedy and the romance. Instead, director Nancy Myers succeeds in bringing a lifelike melodrama to the screen with some seasoned comedy moments to bind it all together. It’s Complicated feels much more realistic and honest to today’s lifestyle trends than the typical catch-her-at-the-airport-before-she-boards romance.

I really don’t want to rip into It’s Complicated because I didn’t find it all that terrible, while at the same time I didn’t feel an immense connection with it at any stage. The film was merely tolerable and entertaining to sit through, albeit unnecessarily long. My wife absolutely loved it and I’m confident she’ll add it to our DVD shelf at some stage– and I’m sure that’s all it will ever be to me. A glossy paper sleeve pointing at me through a plastic spine. I can’t think that I’d ever bother sitting through it again. Very much been there, done that.

While perhaps obvious, it was a smart move to have Meryl Streep play lead character Jane and carry this film. I can’t think of many actresses who could bring the level of depth and believability to a character like she can. Meryl is always a joy to watch and, not surprisingly, this performance is no different. Despite the dragging plot, Meryl keeps Jane fresh, vibrant and, from what I can gather, extremely relevant. I can imagine any fifty-year-old divorcee relating to, and loving, every ounce of reality in Meryl’s performance… but I can only presume. Her performance does hit home the delicate fabric of marriage, love and friendship and I genuinely felt her loneliness while she desperately tried to centre herself. I was convinced, at least, and all I’ve got to relate with this situation is the separation of my own parents– a situation I’m (thankfully) rather distant from.

Steve Martin gets a rare opportunity to play things pretty straight as Adam, Jane’s architect who, of course, falls for her. Thank goodness he’s also recently divorced so he can relate with Jane’s feelings, allowing him to talk with her… (cue rolling of the eyes). Steve pads his usual comedy approach with a subtly dry undertone. I realise his comedy style is already defined as ‘dry’, but here there is no slapstick to back it up, and not many clever old-school-joke-style one-liners. Adam really is a straight-laced character who is perfectly humble and innocently in love. Surprisingly, Steve pulls it off convincingly and keeps it entertaining to boot. While that made it refreshingly interesting to sit through, anyone looking for a typical Steve Martin vehicle might be slightly disappointed.

Alec Baldwin plays Jane’s ex-husband Jack (yep, just like his character Jack on the television show 30 Rock…), who happens to still be in love with Jane and courts her back into a physical relationship. All the while Jane’s torn between letting Adam in and patching things up with Jack. Just like she says in the film, turns out Meryl is a real slut. While it’s a little bit ‘more of the same’ for Alec’s recent roles, he does play this kind of character well. It’s a shame we don’t get to see him excel beyond what we’ve already seen him do before, given that Meryl Streep and Steve Martin seemed to get that opportunity.

Ultimately I found John Krasinski, playing soon-to-be-son-in-law to Meryl’s Jane, stealing the laughs in It’s Complicated. He’s given the most meat when he discovers some truths about the secret relationship Jack and Jane are having behind their children’s back and it makes for some memorable, well-earned laughs… laughs one would have expected from the lead cast. Unfortunately it’s another case of all the best funny bits already being spent in the film’s trailer, even the worth-the-wait scenes that find Meryl Streep and Steve Martin high as kites on extremely good reefer are somewhat spoiled. Still, there’s no question it’s a universal highlight for the film, and probably the peak of it’s entertaining qualities.

There’s nothing hidden behind It’s Complicated. Everything Nancy Myers wants to portray with her script and direction is laid out, plain as day. The moral is evident from the conclusion of the first act and the journey is full of straight-forward plot points cleverly delivered against some quirky situations for a lead cast pushing sixty years of age. And what an impressive cast it is.

If you’re seeking a somewhat long, sometimes funny venture into the lonely soul of an aging woman who’s re-discovering herself via a bizarre love triangle, kick back to this. For its genre, It’s Complicated holds up, delivers what it needs and deserves respect for catering to that market so well. As a film amongst films, however, I found it didn’t have the legs to sustain my interest nor convince me to care beyond the often awkward sexual encounters. At least I got a chuckle out of it.

IT’S COMPLICATED
52/100