Complications

I recently went to see the new movie It's Complicated. It's a romantic comedy starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin as a long-divorced couple suddenly rekindling a romance between them as their youngest child graduates college. Further confounding the works is Steve Martin, as a new potential love interest.

If you are a parent who would not need to pay for a babysitter to go out to the movie theater, then this movie is for you. (That is, your kids are either out of the house, old enough to take care of themselves, or the oldest is old enough to watch the others.) That's the demographic this movie is aimed at, and from what I could tell, it was hitting it like the bullseye on a target. The audience around me at the theater decidedly favored an over-50 crowd, and they were practically rolling in the aisles from beginning to end.

That said, it's not like the film was empty for someone like me. It is cute and fun, if conventional and predictable. The script might not be much of a revelation, but as you would expect, the acting is exceptional and creates an atmosphere well worth seeing. Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin make a really outstanding couple, romantically and comedically. Steve Martin hasn't been this charming in a role since Roxanne. It all feels very true and... well, just all-around pleasant. John Krasinksi of The Office also plays a significant role, and serves up his share of great moments too. (He plays the kind of character that gets the "spit take" type moments.)

There is one extended sequence in the film that's good for some out-loud laughs, falling almost exactly halfway through the film. Hopefully without revealing too much, it's a vehicle where the main characters all really let loose and do some wacky comedy. The whole movie could not have really been this way and felt in any way authentic; nevertheless, it is the best 20 minutes of the movie.

There have been better romantic comedies, but also many far worse. You won't be blown away, but you won't be sorry you gave your time to such a great group of actors. I rate It's Complicated a B-. And if the crowd I saw it with is any indication, you can add another "half-grade" on top of that for every 5 years you are older than me. (That is, up it to a B if you're over 40, a B+ for over 45, and so on.)