Tuesday Movie Review

It's Complicated
Starring: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski
Directed by Nancy Meyers

Writer/director Nancy Meyers made a film a few years ago that, for good reason, didn't do too well and the box office. It was called What Women Want, a romantic comedy where Mel Gibson's character could read the minds of women. It was bad. Since then she's seemed to have found the right formula for fairly good rom-coms, Something's Gotta Give with Jack and Diane, The Holiday and now It's Complicated. What I like about all three of these movies is that they are just there...they don't treat the viewer like a complete moron that needs everything laid out for them. They all have good scenes with believable characters, a little romance and a little fun mixed at the right proportions. What makes It's Complicated so enjoyable are the stars involved. Meryl Streep, without putting on an accent or losing any children, is fantastic. Seemingly playing herself, her role isn't a big stretch, but the fun she has on screen really comes through to the viewer. I loved her! Alec Baldwin is his normal, reliable self, finding the essence of the character's shortcomings and making them very watchable. Steve Martin hasn't been this good in a long time. He's always fun to watch, but his "crazy-guy" antics are far behind him. He plays his role with a quiet charm, even when his character gets high at a party. I really enjoyed this film and I have a feeling more people will relate to it than not.

GRADE: B+