IT’S COMPLICATED proves to be a solid comedy with a tremendous cast

Universal Studios | 2009 (film); 2010 (DVD) | Rated R | 120 minutes | List price: $29.98 | Get it for less at Amazon

Writer and director Nancy Meyers (SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE), has crafted a fantastic film that not only has some great comedic moments in it that will have audiences laughing out loud, but that also explores the relationships between some exceptionally well crafted characters who form the central core of the picture. IT’S COMPLICATED follows the story of Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Alec Baldwin), a couple who have been divorced for a decade, but who are reunited for their son’s graduation from college. After an inebriating night of celebrating though, they find themselves in the same bed once again. Complicating the matter is the fact that Jake is now remarried to a substantially younger trophy wife, Agness (Lake Bell) who is trying to persuade him to have another child, and Jane has just begun flirting with her architect Adam (Steve Martin). On top of this, there are Jane and Jack’s three children whom they must hide their affair from. As can be expected, hilarity ensues as everyone’s relationships become more and more complicated as the film unfolds.

What Meyers does exceptionally well with her films is to build strong characters that seem very true to real life and that never become simply stock or predictable. Meyers’s characters are flawed, they are allowed to make mistakes and to go against the grain of what an audience might expect from them, and IT’S COMPLICATED further exemplifies this. Both Jake and Jane are the direct cause for all of the complications they face in the film, but this makes them even more endearing. This here is where Meyers’s plot is the strongest, for not only is there a sense of authenticity to the characters, but in having them be multi-dimensional, they become even more accessible to the audience, and in turn, IT’S COMPLICATED becomes a film with a tremendous amount of heart. Audiences may not agree with each of the decisions that Jake or Jane make throughout the movie, but at the same instance they could most likely imagine themselves making similar decisions when caught up in a similar moment.

With such a solid plot though, the casting had to be dead right for the movie to work, and IT’S COMPLICATED features such an enormously talented cast that it exceeds all expectations. While the genius of artists such as Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin or Steve Martin really does not need to be spoken, what becomes striking in IT’S COMPLICATED is just how generous each of these seasoned professionals are. They each appear to always allow whomever they are sharing the screen with to shine, and in doing so, create a palpable chemistry that resonates throughout the film. There is even a restraint to some of their performances, and this adds to the believability of the characters and does not allow the comedy in the film to devolve into the ridiculous. Viewers get the sense that they are watching actors, who may each be at the pinnacle of their craft, but who still are able to elevate each other through their performances.

IT’S COMPLICATED is a movie well worth seeing and even one that you will most likely find yourself revisiting time and time again.

The DVD release of the film contains:

• The Making of IT’S COMPLICATED (20:00)
• Feature commentary with Writer/Director/Producer Nancy Meyers, Executive Producer Suzanne Farwell, Director of Photography John Toll and Editor Joe Hutsching

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Movie Rating:

DVD bonus features: AVERAGE