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Capone says IT'S COMPLICATED is really simple: Alec Baldwin is the funniest thing in it!!!
Hey, everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
Like many films by writer-director Nancy Meyers, no one is more surprised than I am that any part of her silly plots and occasional slapstick humor eventually works its way around into making a very adult point and turning a comedy into something slightly more. Like her previous films, WHAT WOMEN WANT and SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE and (we're skip right over her last film, the atrocious THE HOLIDAY), Meyers spends just a little bit too much time pushing the laugh agenda and too little time developing her characters just an iota more to make us appreciate their company enough to care about their lives.
In IT'S COMPLICATED, Meryl Streep plays Jane, a 10-year divorcée and pastry chef/bakery, living quite comfortably on her own and away from her cheating, charming ex-husband Jake (Alec Baldwin), now married to the much younger Agness (Lake Bell). It's clear that Jane and Jake have moved past their whatever differences caused them to part ways (actually, Jake's infidelity with Agness years earlier seems to have been the primary cause of their marriage's demise). They have three now-grown children--Hunter Parrish, Caitlin Fitzgerald, and one of my favorite up-and-coming actresses Zoe Kazan--and all seems fairly stable in the world. Then one drunken run in between Jane and Jake in a hotel bar the evening before their son's college graduation leads to the former couple sleeping together, an incident that turns into a full-blown affair in a hurry.
Although the existence affair is at first played for laughs--the scenes of Streep and her "girlfriends" (Rita Wilson, Alexandra Wentworth, and Mary Kay Place) chattering away over wine and cheese are the weakest in the movie--it is eventually taken somewhat seriously as the film goes own, especially as it affects the children, who we find out are still reeling from the divorce. To further muck up the works, Jane is in the early stages of being courted by her new architect, Adam, played with an uneasy charm by Steven Martin, whose feelings concerning Jane are taken about as seriously as anything else in this very silly and sometimes funny film.
As much as the world likes to talk about the mastery of Meryl Streep, she doesn't really add much of her master thespian skills to this part, and that's probably because she doesn't need to. Jane is a very surface character, and despite her confusion about the two men in her life, Streep realizes this is a problem most 50-something-year-old women would kill to have. The passing grade I give to IT'S COMPLICATED is rooted entirely in my love for what Alex Baldwin brings to his character. I feel like printing up t-shirts that say "Thank God for Alec Baldwin." The man single handed makes this film far more interesting than it is on paper. Much like the role he has on "30 Rock," he's the perfect combination of blustery old-school confidence and middle-aged man still wanting to seem young, hip, and virile.
Considering that Martin is pretty much playing it straight for most of the film (if you overlook the scene where he and Streep get silly stoned) and the almost transparent presence of John Krasinski as Streep's soon-to-be son-in-law Harley, Baldwin pretty much owns this movie. When he's on screen, you breathe a sigh of relief and know that good things are about to happen. It's also kind of refreshing to hear him 'fess up to the fact that he's gotten fat--he even does us the great pleasure of showing us just how fat with a very funny, albeit low-brow, nude scene.
Despite what the title may suggest, IT'S COMPLICATED is way too easy a film to figure out and predict. Situations are make unnecessarily chaotic for the sake of keeping the movie moving forward, and it often feels forced. Still, the movie does offer some genuine laughs and a small handful of sincere thoughts on finding love as you get older and falling back into old patterns regardless of your better judgement and higher education. But it's Baldwin that tips the scales for me. The guy is on fire with such consistency, they should wrap him in asbestos to keep him from singeing others. Go to IT'S COMPLICATED because your significant other will probably ask you to, but stay involved because Baldwin will make it worth your while.
-- Capone
therealcapone@aintitcoolmail.com
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Heh, because it's not Halloween, is it?
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Alec says that his career is a failure... eh... yeah, kinda... in a snooty awards and bullshit box office way it's a failure... but his real failures were that he waited so long to stop trying to fit into the shallow leading man molds... Alec is not, gasp, shallow and he has never pulled off shallow well. Well, he pulls off mocky shallow very well.
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Though there are those who are incapable of separating Baldwin's acting career from his political views -- and I'm sure we'll be hearing from some of those people soon -- he's really doing some of the best work of his career right now. His performance on 30 ROCK is the only reason I keep tuning in.
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but doesn't really like him as a person, not for his political views, for the whole calling his daughter a pig thing.
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Did you really just write this sentence: "The guy is on fire with such consistency, they should wrap him in asbestos to keep him from singeing others."?
Wrap him in asbestos... really? Did you type this up in a rush before you passed out after not sleeping for 72 hours? That would be one of the few valid excuses for that sentence. -
wasn't atrocious. It actually had some great moments. Eli's speech about how terrible he thinks Hollywood has become is completely on point.
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She rules with ruthless might. Straight men are luckily immune to her powers, but there is a significant portion of our population who crumble before her will. Men, we need to recognize her effect on women if we are to survive her reign of terror.
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He pathetically admits to contemplating suicide when the world caught him verbally abusing his daughter. Then he pisses and moans about his career. I wish I had a career to piss and moan about. Fat fuckin' Slimeball.
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her 4th sequel...
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What speech are you referring to?
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Bettlejuice, Departed, 30 Rock, to name a few. Whatever he's in this guy has got massive charm and wit.
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Man... Im just curious, cos I know you're obviously busy, but did you read this review at ALL before you posted? I mean, maybe seeing the Squeakquel fried your brain [and I can see how it would do that] but perhaps you didnt mean that Meryl Streep's character was a bakery? Perhaps you could explain what an "existence affair" is? I guess you mean Alec Baldwin single-handedly made the film more interesting too :)Like you probably meant to say "Situations are maDe unnecessarily chaotic". And if you had properly proofed the article you probably would have said that too. I hate being the picky bitch, and its not like I expect NY Times level writing/journalism,it just would be nice if it all made sense so I dont get jarred out of a review by noticing it. Its the sort of sloppy stuff that gets regularly picked on here if it happens on-screen, so perhaps you should notice it more when youre doing it yourselves :)
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Nice review, retard.
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daughter. If presented with some of the hollow, soul-less, empty, materialistic little Beverly Hills shits that pass for teenagers these days crossing paths with you, you would call them much worse under your breath, or HERE in talkback. Baldwin called her out for what she was being and you all act like he's some kind of monster. Fuck you, grow a pair and have the fortitude and guts to call your kids out if they ever act like over-privileged, entitled little monsters. He should get a parent of the decade award. If he "yes, dear, anything you want dear, sorry honey"'d her, you'd be calling him a pussy.
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You don't get to hear the whole thing, but there's a scene at the end when he is accepting an award for his writing achievements and he says, "I came to Hollywood over 60 years ago, and immediately fell in love with motion pictures. And it's a love affair that's lasted a lifetime. When I first arrived in Tinseltown, there were no cineplexes or multiplexes. No such thing as a Blockbuster or DVD. I was here before conglomerates owned the studios. Before pictures had special effects teams. And definitely before box office results were reported like baseball scores on the nightly news." He's old school, and a small part of The Holiday is remembering how great the old school used to be.
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...I love seeing Meryl Streep finally turning into a box office superstar. But I hate the Nancy Meyers aesthetic with a passion. What to do, what to do.
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Is it better than the Squeakquel?? that really should have been in the review!
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Dec 26, 2009 1:14:29 PM CST
It's hard to believe that Alec Baldwin is the same guy....
by chakraborty
...that was in BeetleJuice. Today he's like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon version of that Alec Baldwin.
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Alec, not any of his brothers. True story.
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I know! He used to be an action hero! Now, he's Mr. I hate everything.
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Get over it, americans
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I think Capone would have mentioned it. So, no, she's not in every movie ever made (although she was brilliant in Avatar).
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...or something. Speaking of Alec Baldwin, just watched The Getaway on the cables like, yesterday, day before. Not really a very good movie (same as I remember) but it is pretty amazing how different he looks now. Still, he's Alec Baldwin - chicks love the smile and the eyes, guys dig the sarcastic "cool guy" whit.
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next time try proofreading your bullshit at least once before clicking the submit button
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I had the good fortune of winding up at party with Lord Baldwin this past fall. It was at once frightening, exhilarating, and powerful. He entered the room and it was like witnessing the aurora borealis blow in through the doors. Within three minutes time, he was double-fisting drinks, smiling, and red-faced charming the entire crowd. Hors'dourves were being passed around on trays, and Lord Baldwin had somehow managed to gain monopoly on all the steak tartares - which were being served on potato gaufrettes. He had about six of them on his tiny plastic plate, and I conveyed that I was impressed how he was able to attain so many, when I had nary one. He introduced himself simply and gruffly by extending his hand, "ALEC." The conversation proceeded, as I stared into the fire of his eyes. Sadly, some drunken dope passing by dropped a bottle of beer - which shattered at Lord Baldwin's feet. Baldwin stared down this clumsy dope with all the fury of the ages, but held his tongue. He simply looked up to me and said, "That's my cue; Baldwin...OUT." He walked off outside to warm himself beside the pool's fire pit. I slept like a baby that night.
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And that's great. I've really enjoyed her in Mamma Mia! and Julie and Julia recently. Wish it had just been a single biopic storyline with Julia Child, but anyways. She's just a damned great actor and a pleasure to watch.
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then she'll finally retire.
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This lady is amazing..
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Fat, ugly, opinionated and HIGHLY overrated.
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...and he seemed to be none of those things. *shrug*
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It features Jack Black in a real acting role. The best I've seen him in. It was cute, and funny, and Kate Winslet and the old guy chemistry was great. Helen Hunt on the other hand is overrated. She's a decent actress, but nothing great. I still can't figure out how she won the Oscar.
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Cast Baldwin and Val Kilmer as one-time superheroes, who retire to become married family men, but are now divorced, and are itching to get back to crime fighting. To see these once studly studs lumbering around with barrel guts, well thats got to be good for a half hour at least.
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on Letterman made him look like he was turning into an old fat queen. Well you may recall his spot on impression of Charles Nelson Reilly on SNL one time...
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"a 10-year divorcée and pastry chef/bakery"If you're a pastry chef, then it must be awfully handy when your alt form is a bakery. Gives new meaning to the phrase, "Transform and roll out!" After all these years, I had no idea they were referring to dough.This wreck of a review is full of run-ons and misused words. I'd let it go, but Capone... you DO THIS for a living.
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That was a MAJOR betrayal of privacy and trust and I support Baldwin entirely. I've fired my boys up, chewed my oldest's ass so completely it's a miracle he has any left to sit on, and as he gets older and more mature and someday WAY down the road if he wants to hold my tempermental bitch-fests against me he would have a perfect right and I look forward to someday comparing notes on it regarding his own kids. But never ONCE was any of my behaviour for public consumption, I have always maintained the highest level of respect for my kids in public, never dressed them down or got down on it in public. That Baldwin tape should never have been made, much-less seen the light of day, and the fact that it did confirms every statement he made about what a little bitch his daughter was.
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..this movie's title is retarded/annoying enough for me to give it a pass. Blech...
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I wish he would have followed up his early promise of Beetlejuice, The Hunt for Red October and Miami Blues with a series of more memorable movies. I always thought he was going to be the next (young) Harrison Ford.
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