It's Complicated: Movie Review

It's Complicated: Movie Review

It's Complicated
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski
Director: Nancy Meyers
In this romantic comedy, Meryl Streep is Jane who's divorced her philandering hubby Jack (Alec Baldwin) over a decade ago. Since then, she's carved herself a dandy life as she cooks and he's remarried to a younger model with a child.
However, as they come together to celebrate their son's graduation, the pair find there's still an attraction and against the odds begin an affair.
As they rekindle their relationship, it becomes clear that Jack's more into it than Jane as he views it as a reconciliation and a chance to get back together. So things are further complicated when Jane's architect Adam (a muted playing it straight Steve Martin) starts to develop feelings for her.
Ultimately things start to come to a head for Jane and she has to find her place in these relationships&
Meryl Streep was Golden Globe nominated for this piece - and it's easy to see why. It's clearly her film - and while Baldwin brings his roguish caddish comedy touch to the role, neither he nor Martin can compete with Streep - she's light years ahead of them on the screen.
She manages to brilliantly use a deftness of touch to make Jane the likeable element in this - left on the sidelines and unsure of how to get involved in relationships, her transition is plausible, pleasant and in places, funny. She gives a masterclass on bringing subtlety to the character.
Meyers wrote and directed this piece which not only benefits from some zingy one liners but an excellent ensemble cast; Martin underplays his sad sack Adam who's been divorced and unsure of the game for a while - and John Krasinski provides some much needed comic relief in places) but sadly suffers from a lull about 75 minutes in.

It's Complicated is going to appeal more to certain sector of the audience than some; putting it politely, as Nancy Meyers does great films for women, it's fair to say this charming comedy is squarely in the grab a bunch of your girlfriends and head to the flicks.