while we're young
2015 review number 69:
While We're Young: (Drama/Comedy): 64 out of 100: If you have ever experienced angst about aging then you should be able to identify with this film. Some might find the dialogue and situations witty while others might just dismiss these as pretentious arthouse pleasures for critics.
Ben Stiller is Josh, a documentary filmmaker who seems to be taking forever to complete his latest project. He makes ends meet by teaching a film course in college where he meets Jamie (Adam Driver) who is a beginning filmmaker. Josh and his wife Cornelia (Naomi Watts) are both in their forties and yearn for their younger years. They idolise the relationship Jamie has with Darby (Amanda Seyfried) along with their lifestyle so they hang out with them and rediscover their younger adult years.
There are some interesting ideas to be found in the plot but the combination of drama and comedy provides an uneven mix. There's the social commentary on the generation gap and another main theme focusing on the ethics of documentary making. It's like two movies for the price of one but that's where the problem lies. Both themes never go the distance in fully engaging the audience. There are moments which will have you interested while there are others that will have you checking your watch.
The relationship between Josh and Cornelia is much more interesting than the one involving the friendship between Josh and Jamie. Driver is droll but overdoes this at times. Stiller's and Watts' interactions are the best thing about this movie. You can grow to appreciate the difficulties they are experiencing in their marriage through their acting. It was fantastic to see Charles Grodin playing Cornelia's father as I haven't seen him on screen for over 20 years. He adds spark as the acclaimed documentary fillmaker who Josh and Jamie both look up to.
Noah Baumbach is the writer and director of "While We're Young". He's not as polished as Woody Allen at his best. This is probably Baumbach at his most mainstream after writing and directing efforts in "Frances Ha", "Greenberg" and "Margot at the Wedding". He is an acquired taste.
If you are after a relationship film, there might be too much waffle here for you to fully enjoy. It's still engaging enough for you to identify with some scenes but it's not something that you would recommend to someone who wants a bit more energy in their films.
Starring Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried
(97 minutes)
Parental advice: Coarse language
Additional scene during or after credits: Yes, during the credits we see people walking past the title "While We're Young" which is written in graffiti style on a wall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9cG9BzxMps (Movie trailer)
(Reviewed on Tuesday 12th May, 2015)
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