Starring: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski
Written & Directed by Nancy Meyers
Rated: R
Run Time: 118 mins
Genre: Romantic Comedy
4.5 frames out of 5
Divorce is messy but infidelity with your ex… it’s complicated.
It’s been about ten years since Jane (Meryl Streep) has been divorced from Jake (Alec Baldwin) and she is finally in a good place in her life. It doesn’t mean that it gets any easier as she ages. There’s a few more wrinkles that weren’t there, she hasn’t had sex in… well, let’s not go there and the fact that her ex-husband and his much younger and sexier new wife are trying to get pregnant with a child can be a bit too much for a woman to take. So Jane decides to move forward with a home improvement project she has been dreaming about for years. Her head architect is replaced by Adam (Steve Martin) another architect assigned to the project. He’s a bit geeky, awkward and shy but Jane is too distracted by other things in her life to notice that Adam has taken a fancy to her.
The relationship between Jane and Jake is cordial but the history between them is hard to ignore. On the eve of their son’s graduation in New York City, Jane is ditched by her children and she ends up in the hotel bar where she runs into Jake. They consume copious amounts of alcohol and the chemistry that has been laying dormant over the past 10 years ignites and it’s better than ever.
When Jane gets back to her home in Santa Barbara, she’s at her wits end… she has become the person she most despised. She has become the other woman. Her friends and therapist feel like this can be a positive step for Jane and encourage this behavior. Jane finally succumbs to her feelings and Jake’s advances and goes with the flow. In doing so, Jane blossoms into her persona and radiates life. With this new found lease on life she digs deeper into her home improvement project and becomes closer to Adam. She also finds how much being the other woman for Jake can be exhilarating yet heart wrenching. Trying to balance all the different relationships new and old, Jane finds how complicated life can be.
Following the formula that made Something’s Gotta Give so successful, It’s Complicated brings down the physical comedy and relies more on the awkwardness factor, which is equally hilarious. Meryl Streep looks fabulous at 60 and is at the top of her game in this film. She is funny, endearing, sexy and radiant – all of how women wish they will be at her age. The movie starts off a bit slow but once it finds its legs after the first 15 – 20 minutes, the film takes off like a rocket in the entertainment factor. John Krasinski plays the perfect comic relief and fans of his will not be disappointed and this is a great role.
Things to watch for: Alec Baldwin naked, the laptop scene and the graduation party at Jane’s daughter’s house.
Who should see this movie: Women over 40, people that have gone through divorce, Meryl Streep fans
See it in the Theater or Rent it on DVD: If you’re in the mood for a great romantic comedy this holiday season go see it in the theater. If not, great addition for your DVD collection.
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