It's Complicated

[Dog Food]

I can explain this movie in one sentence: It's Complicated.

Basically, Jane (played by the wonderful Meryl Streep) has been divorced for ten years, and she's just beginning to feel normal again. You learn early on that her husband (Alec Baldwin, who I first thought was a little young for Streep, but he played his role very well) cheated on her, married the new, younger woman, then got cheated on, took her back and the son, Pedro, that she had with her lover. Life doesn't get much better than that, now does it? The husband, Jake, shows some longing to still be with Jane, but she just wants to get on with her life and build a nice new kitchen with the "hunky" (the best word is actually "old", since that's what all these characters are) architect, Adam (played by Steve Martin, a man who I don't particularly like, but I'll forgive him in this role).

Jane also had three children with Jake - Gabby, Lauren, and Luke (played by Zoe Kazan, Caitlin Fitzgerald, and Hunter Parrish respectively). The youngest, Gabby, is just moving out of the house and into college, while Luke is just graduating college, and Lauren is getting married to Harley (comically played by John Krasinski, from The Office), a man who I had previously thought was the other gay brother until they finally cleared that little mishap up later on in the movie. The kids are used for comedy (mainly Harley, who they lovingly already refer to as one of them), while the rest of used for settings to build a scene between Jane and her two lovers - Jake and Adam. Yes, this movie is about old people having hot, steamy sex. If you can't deal with that, go watch Gossip Girl.

It begins with Jane and her affair with Jake. She begins dating her ex-husband, but he's married to Agnus, so she's having an affair with the man she spent at least twenty years of her life with. But then she starts to like Adam as more than a friend (oh God, it's like we're in grade school all over again!), and he's liked her for a while, too. So, who to choose? The man who is familiar and once again in love with her? Or the new guy who is sweet and also recently divorced (who hasn't)?

The movie is actually a cute comedy - and it needs an applause for originality (not once did I get that "done before" feeling during the whole movie). The kids were given enough scenes (even some emotional ones to show off their acting), there were moments when the whole theater was laughing and moments where the whole theater was sniffling (it wasn't a nose-blower, more like a quick wipe-your-eye moment). There were some boring moments in between the roars of laughter, and some of the jokes seemed aimed purely at an older demographic. Although Meryl Streep hogs up most of the theater time (with almost every single scene having her in it), she's a joy to watch and a wonderful actress. Her friends are funny, and although they aren't very many moments with them, it feels like you are watching four best friends having a good time, just sitting and talking like friends sometimes do when they have time to get away from their own crazy lives. The best part is that you are rooting for Jane, Jake, and Adam. You find yourself maybe leaning towards one over the other, but every character is likable and/or relatable, despite their flaws, and you most likely won't be disappointed no matter what the outcome (which has you guessing until the very end - and I mean very end)!

Overall, the movie was good. It wasn't hot and steamy young people throwing caution to the wind, it was older people who have experienced the good and bad in life, and are now trying to put their lives back on track after nasty divorces and screaming children. In a way, it was refreshing to watch the old people sex (you don't actually see it, thank God), rather than toned boys ass raping young, wrinkle-free woman. This movie represented not the ideal America, but what people are actually like. Meryl Streep doesn't have a perfect nose, Alec Baldwin has a beer belly, and Steve Martin probably doesn't have many abs underneath that shirt. But they are real people, looking for more than just sex (well, maybe sometimes just sex), and it makes it so much easier to relate and like the characters.

The Verdict:

+ Original, relatable plot
+ Life-like characters
+ Good use of supporting characters
- Felt a little long and drawn out
- Spurts of boring in between the funny and dramatic scenes
- Better for the older demographic

7.8/10

Although it was a good movie and had its funny moments, I felt as if I would have enjoyed it more if I were older. If you love Meryl Streep, Steve Martin or Alec Baldwin, then definitely go see this movie, you'll probably love it no matter what age you are. There are some very young moments, but it's more of an adult-themed movie. Cute and funny, with very little action, but original and worth a try if you're feeling up for it.