REVIEW: ‘It’s Complicated’

You would be hard-pressed to find a better, more well-rounded comedy than Nancy Meyers’ “It’s Complicated.” The cast, writing and direction are all as flawless as you can expect from a Hollywood product, and everyone involved is at the top of their game.

“It’s Complicated “ Rated R • 118 minutes Starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin Written And Directed By: Nancy Meyers RCC Rating: Worth Full Price On Opening Weekend

Meryl Streep plays Jane, a woman who is at a crossroads in her life. She’s been divorced for ten years, and has raised her three kids while building a successful restaurant career. Her ex-husband Jake (Alec Baldwin) married a younger woman, and has mostly kept his distance. However, just as Jane is facing an empty house as her youngest leaves for college, and she’s ready to start dating again, Jake decides that he’d like another shot at happiness with her. After an impromptu rendezvous in New York, Jane finds herself in the awkward position of being “the other woman” in a relationship, having to hide the affair from their kids. There’s also the matter of Adam (Steve Martin), a divorced architect who is interested in Jane. Their budding relationship would be a wonderfully nice thing, were Jake not always trying to wedge himself back into Jane’s life.

While Martin’s low-key suitor is a welcome addition to the mix, the main focus of “It’s Complicated” is the whirling dervish of Baldwin and Streep’s relationship. Jake is an attorney who is used to getting his way on everything, and a borderline Peter Pan complex doesn’t help matters. The allure of recapturing the passion from her youth is tempting for Jane, and Streep plays it to perfection. Watching Baldwin and Streep spar onscreen is a master class in film comedy, and each makes their character both sympathetic and appealing.

I’d be remiss in not bringing up John Krasinski, who plays the fiance of Jane’s oldest daughter and is put in the awkward position of having to hide Jane’s affair with Jake. Krasinski shows the same level of comedic timing as the top-billed stars, and comes close to stealing scenes from Baldwin and Streep. Fans of “The Office” have known Krasinski deserves the star treatment, and his performance in “It’s Complicated” should help usher that along.

This is Meyers’ fourth film in the director’s chair, and easily her best. There’s a sequence towards the end of the movie which has the audience howling with laughter for a solid minute straight, followed by an immediate shift in tone that had the viewer’s rapt attention. In the hands of a lesser talent, the abrupt left turn might have easily lost the crowd, but Meyers plays it to perfection.

“It’s Complicated” is a rare beast in Hollywood today: an exceedingly well done “grown-up comedy.” At times touching, other times a ribald farce, this is one of the funniest films I’ve seen in quite a while, and one best films of the year.