Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Greenberg





Just saw Greenberg last week - Director, Noah Baumbach's latest starring Ben Stiller.
I always like to check out Baumbach's movies. I think it's because I feel like we had the same parents after watching "The Squid and the Whale". Without going in to too many details - but the type of parents who are a little (or A LOT) emotionally unaware and so are unable to leave their children out of their petty fighting. Ditto for Margot at the Wedding. The way Nicole Kidman's character talks to her son... made me cry how oblivious and childish adults can be some times. Instead of rising above...thoughtlessly dumping their baggage on their kids.
But all that aside, back to Greenberg. Ben Stiller is perfect here as Roger Greenberg and I adored Greta Gerwig for being so authentic.
"Hurt people hurt people". I like this line a lot. It made me think about anger. And that disconnect when we turn inward and become so self-involved in our own pain and turmoil.
This movie made me cringe in so many spots and even though you don't necessarily like this guy really, I think you really do hope that somehow, some way, he is going to get "it" and he's going to somehow stop behaving like a human wrecking ball - damaging anyone in his path. I just so badly wanted him to do. the. right. thing. Thankfully this is actually still a comedy (I just refuse to call anything a dramedy). I did laugh out loud at parts although sometimes just out of sheer discomfort. The scene near the end though where Greenberg is at a party with college kids and basically calls out their generation for being too confident is pretty hilarious and kinda bang on.

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