I don't know what it is, but I've just been enjoying everything that Meryl Streep is doing lately. There's something about her. You can just tell that she's at a place in her life that is on a whole other level of happiness. She radiates joy and laughter. Not to mention she is an actress with unmatchable talent. She can transform into anything and you have to wonder how she does it. Anyone who shares the screen with her is lucky. It's an experience I hope to have myself one day.
"It's Complicated" is a film directed by Nancy Meyers and stars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, and John Krasinski. I have to admit that I enjoy Nancy Meyers' films. They are a guilty pleasure of mine. Granted they are considered to be chick flicks, a term I hate, but I think they are witty, well performed tales of interesting women. This film is about a woman who starts to have an affair with her ex-husband who is now married to another younger woman. Simply put. She then meets another man and falls for him and it creates a crazy love triangle. It's quite an interesting idea and I'm surprised that no one thought of it before because it's such an easy story. It's definitely complicated and the title fits the film to the letter. As far as performances go, I really don't have to tell you that Meryl Streep is a goddess of an actress. It almost seems that she gets better with every role. There's little nuances and ticks to this character that she fleshes out. Every little expression, every hand gesture, every line is delivered with the ultimate conviction even with a story so crazy. I get a thrill out of watching her act. It's so amazing to see how she develops a character and how they would act, think, and feel. I love her. Alec Baldwin is terrifically charming as her ex-husband who tries to win her back through crazy schemes that don't always go as planned. I think this is the zaniest I've seen Baldwin aside from "30 Rock". Steve Martin isn't really given much to do in this film but he does great with what he's given and it's just great to see him again, it's been awhile.
As far as the film itself, it's definitely entertaining and a fun watch. It's not Oscar material but hey, what is these days. There are some cliched moments and might be a little predictable but it's fun to watch these talented actors play it up. This film came out around the holiday season so it's one of those movies that most mainstream audiences will enjoy. I liked the film as a whole but I felt that there was not enough juice. I would've liked to have seen more of Steve Martin and more story of the love triangle. The last half of the film felt rushed because the setup may have been a little too long. It was like they were trying to hurry up and finish it. If these actors weren't in it, I don't know if I would've liked it as much as I do.
Some mainstream films have moments of beauty in them that are overlooked and I think that this film really showed how beautiful California is. Nancy Meyers always has a way of making things look polished in her films. New York looked fantastic as well. She always manages to make each city that she films in seem almost dreamlike. It's a shame because really only indie films will be appreciated for their artistic value, so to speak, but most mainstream films with moments of great filmmaking will be overlooked because of the film itself. It's always good to notice something good in every film, as I have said before, because if you pay close enough attention you might see cinema come alive again for a moment. It's like an orgasm, you have it and then it's gone.
This is a film that you watch with friends but it's cool to watch by yourself as well. I did and I laughed out loud on some parts. It's definitely entertaining for a nice night in. The DVD hits stores April 27th.
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