voice for What Women Want, especially “women of a certain age,”
(“Something’s Gotta Give”) — makes Meryl Streep her muse for “It’s
Complicated,” a tale of an ex-wife who becomes “the other woman” when
her husband figures out what he gave up and starts cheating with her.
It’s a talky, “chick picture” revenge fantasy for the
Jane (Streep) lost her husband 10 years before, but
he’s a rich lawyer, so their three kids were able to go to the best
colleges. And her restaurant business and, we’re assuming, alimony,
allowed her to buy a gorgeous Mission style home in the hills outside
of
Even though she just packed her last child off to college and admits to
being lonely, Jane is adding a pricey addition to the house, thus the
architect.
But their son’s graduation puts Jake and Jane in the same
hotel and the same hotel bar, and one drink leads to another and next
thing you know, she’s got sex gossip for her coffee klatch (
Jake gives reasoned, rational arguments for why he should ditch the dominatrix he hooked up with (
“We both grew into the people we wanted each other to be,” he purrs.
“Things look different lying down,” she says, talking about gravity and her body parts.
Martin’s mousy architect enters her love life, but
doesn’t turn interesting until they share a joint on the way to a
party, giving Martin his only funny moments in the movie and earning
Meyers an R-rating for this otherwise tame little comedy.
Baldwin’s comic playfulness upstages Streep in scene
after scene. But Jane must carry the moral dilemma of the piece, meant
to be the “sensible” one.
biggest laughs as the son-in-law who figures out the affair before any
of Jane and Jake’s kids do, and is hilarious trying to hide what he
knows.
The empowerment message is obvious, the strain of
trying to be “hip” and edgy in the script shows. But Meyers sets the
table for funny people to deliver laughs. And since no one else is
doing that for moviegoers too mature for “The Hangover,” “It’s
Complicated” makes for a cute and most uncomplicated escape this
holiday season.
It’s Complicated
2 1/2 stars (out of 4)
Cast: Meryl Streep,
Director:
Running time: 1 hour 58 minutes
Industry rating: R for some drug content and sexuality
Roger Moore writes for the Orlando Sentinel. Via McClatchy-Tribune News Service.
