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As Good As It Gets

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Another one not even worth finishing waste of money

The basic idea of the picture could have been interesting if properly developed. The idea of setting the boring lives of a couple in their forties against the smart younger couple was intriguing at the beginning, but boringly conducted and ended with a big question mark. The dichotomy between old and young is not that simple and when the movie seems to exploit this idea, it suddenly takes a tumble and looks for an easier and reconciling finale. There's certainly good acting, Ben Stiller proves a good serious performer, confirming that talented comic actors can do a very good job in more serious roles, but lacks some due chemistry with Naomi Watts. The final result is rather disappointing: given its premises, the picture should have been more focused and much more daring.

The movie surprised me. I was not expecting the plot to take the turn it does. The acting is good, though I liked Ben Stiller and Adam Driver's performance way more than their feminine counterparts. The strange friendship between these two men and, particularly, the keen depiction of Josh's spiritual "infatuation" for Jamie (a character you won't easily forget) was among the things I liked best. There is something terribly cruel about the entire story, and the film is quite effective at striking more than one sore point. Not a masterpiece, but a clever movie- one the like I would see twice. What I can say is that the ending really did not convince me. I would have liked to see how plot could be developed and made more complex and, to be honest, less banal. After almost two hours of movie, I expect the story to reach a final compromise between the starting point and all the assessments either verified or countered by the events the spectator has witnessed. Instead, the characters have been only partially transformed by their experience: let us say that, if the goal of a story is to bring a character from A to D passing through B and C, it seems to me D is a mere copy of, say, B. On the other hand, the movie tells a lot about acceptance and humility: if regarded under this specific point of view, even a not completely satisfying ending acquires its sense, no matter how bittersweet is the impression the movie leaves you with.

I'm not sure about the niche or sub-category occupied by Noah Baumbach in indie cinema, but I have liked most of the films he has been involved in, either as a director (The Squid and the Whale, Frances Ha) or as a screenwriter (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Fantastic Mr. Fox). In While We're Young, Baumbach occupies both positions, and I enjoyed the fascinating tour he offers us through the neurosis and internal turbulence from various picturesque characters on different stages of their lives very much. The clash between "hipsters" and "Gen-X" suggests the fact that While We're Young is a satire of the clichés which identify those social groups, one of them rising, and the other one, on its road to obsolescence... or at least passive complacency. And, effectively, there are some satire moments about the habits and affectations from both generations; but beyond those humorous comparisons, Baumbach built sincere and realistic characters who develop endearing connections with each other. The friendship between the young couple and the mature one seems strange on the beginning, but we eventually realize that both possess qualities complementing their respective emotional needs. The mature couple has experience and a better knowledge of the "real world", while the young one enjoy the energy of youth and isn't tied to a complex net of social or economic obligations, something which brings them an degree of freedom that is attractive for their mature friends. In summary, I found While We're Young an excellent character study with perfect performances from the whole cast, and with an interesting "personal crisis" premise solidly executed by Baumbach's melancholic sensibility. I liked this film very much, but I know that While We're Young has generally not found a good answer from critics and the general audience. Anyway, I would personally recommend it with enthusiasm, with the warning that it isn't a traditional Ben Stiller comedy. Sure, there's pretty much humor in the screenplay and the performances, but they never seek peals of laughter, but the astute observation of absurd or incongruent details which keep us amused while simultaneously leaving us thinking. In other words, don't expect the Stiller from Night at the Museum, but the one from Greenberg (which was curiously also written and directed by Baumbach). And don't expect a "feel good" ending either, but a "feel weird" one. That final scene is perfect for me to answer the eternal question "Why don't you have any children?".