Greenberg
Somehow I’m trying to express my views on the Noah Baumbach film, Greenberg. I doubt I’ll get this right.
Greenberg stars Ben Stiller as the eponymous main male character trying to re-establish himself after being released from rehab. He house sits at his successful brother’s house in LA for the weeks his brother is away on vacation in Vietnam. He establishes a a rapport with his brother’s personal assistant, and they begin a slow-step, tango of a relationship that’s dysfunctional and redeeming. It’s just another indie film plot.
Now I state that Stiller is the main male character, but the personal assistant played by Great Gerwig is every bit the main character, too. She’s the second lead and it is through her that we learn of him. I would almost say she’s the lead. The film opens up following her story and it takes 20 minutes before we get to Stiller. All the while you wonder what is up with this girl. She’s a personal assistant, a glorified gopher, but it pays the bills and allows for the partying till dawn lifestyle she finds herself with.
These two find each other. Real quick and real sudden. And real. It had the audience gasping. “No way!” Very interesting if you think about it. I kept wondering how they each felt about the other. She would’ve just expected? He would’ve wanted it? Where did that come from?
The movie goes by just as every indie movie goes. Not much action, but plenty of character development. Stiller’s character gains something from her, but I don’t she gains anything from him except for companionship. She may understand him, but that understanding wasn’t built on seeing who he is, but who she is. She accepts him because he finally accepts himself.
I thought the early part of the movie was slow and uninteresting. The later part got to be better. Perhaps it was because the amusing scene when Greenberg confronts the youth. It really is scary on how he nails the fear and the awe inherent at looking at the next generation.
Decent movie for the time I was in the theatre.
3 of 5 stars.
2 Replies to “Greenberg”
Comments are closed.
That movie looks way too depressing
It's not really depressing. Somewhat funny. May remind you of yourself. But over all, it's a movie of just wanting to be.