It's Complicated

Plot: Jane Adler (Meryl Streep) has been divorced for 10 years and the last of her three children is leaving home for college. Although she has a beautiful home in the hills of Santa Barbara and a thriving boutique bakery to occupy her time, she still feels a bit empty. Enter her ex-husband Jake (Alec Baldwin), who misses her despite his much younger new wife; and a shy architect (Steve Martin), who’s helping Jane with an addition to her house.

Review: For over a decade now, Hollywood has churned out a movie or two every year aimed at women over 35. Somehow involved are usually Norah Ephron, Nancy Meyers or Delia Ephron, Norah’s sister, who are now all over 50, so the age of the target audience (and the lead actresses) is slowly being adjusted upwards as well.
These ladies are experts in domestic porn: escapism for embattled domestic goddesses, wherein the main characters live by the ocean in multimillion dollar dream homes with large kitchens while masquerading as down-to-earth housewives who just happen to have a fabulous career.

Given that I’ve recently loved fun but ridiculous movies like “Star Trek”, “Law Abiding Citizen” and “Speed Racer”, it’s only fair to suspend disbelief and judge this movie for what it is – a nice night out with the girls.

And yet there’s still something to whine about: director Nancy Meyers’ story is basically a reworking of “Something’s Gotta Give”, the plot is strewn with clichés and tired gags, and there has to be some sort of karmic punishment in store for Ms. Meyers, who utterly wastes the talents of the funniest man in America, turning him into a character so lackluster he looks apologetic most of the time. Steve Martin must be kicking himself. So Streep’s character has her choice between a funny, charming, very attractive man and a lame, “creative” nerd – and guess which one she chooses?

The movie’s single redeeming quality is the charm of its actors, namely Streep, Baldwin and John Krasinski (the magical lead from Sam Mendes’ “Away We Go”), who all have chemistry up the wahzoo.
The bottom line: Complicated it’s not, just a charming bit of fun that’s a little boring sometimes.
(Katrin Gygax)