"It's Complicated"

FINALLY---
After "Avatar," a new "Star Trek" and some miserable piece of cinema that involved Australia and alien-abduction, my husband went with me to a movie I wanted to see. And, after watching "It's Complicated" I may be forced to endure another weekend of NFL playoff games.
At first look, the movie almost seemed husband-proof: Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin are in it. The delivery of a new phone book has not been the same since "The Jerk." Plus, the funny guy with the long last name from "The Office" is in the movie. I thought I was safe. Meryl Streep plays the divorced and "happy about it" woman that has moved on since Alec Baldwin's character left her for a tall, thin, mid-driff baring creature to whom he married.
The divorced duo meet up with the rest of the family in New York City for their son's college graduation. Left alone while while the children plan and attend a kegger at the college brother's place, Meryl Streep decides to go it alone in the hotel restaurant. Baldwin's character is also traveling alone as the young wife's son Pedro came down with the stomach flu.
A quick scene in the hotel bar of drinks, food, drinks and drinks, leads to a bare-chested Baldwin in bed with a distraught and hung-over Streep. The affair is on! It should be noted, Alec Baldwin is looking good in this movie. Maybe even sexy. There must be up to seven scenes with him in his underwear. Expect a "Hanes" endorsement in his future.
Steve Martin appears as a recently-divorced architect hired to remodel Streep's gorgeous home. Baldwin declares he is in love with Streep. Love triangle chaos ensues.
The movie was cute, and definitely was a nice break from the Sci-Fi, bizarre cartoon, and violent film arenas. However, I was embarrassed for my husband as the middle-aged women filling the theater almost wet their pants from laughing each time a set-up occurred. There were some painful scenes involving Streep's girlfriends, to include Rita Wilson as a close friend, where cackling en masse occurred for really no reason.
Seriously, as cute as the film was, the best parts were in the trailer, and were rather predictable. It would help me out a lot, if someone could make an unpredictable chic flick.
Will I get to pick this next film? Most likely, not.



Ben‘s Review of It’s Complicated

It is always difficult finding a movie that both men and women can agree on seeing in a theatre. Unfortunately, It’s Complicated further expands this rift. Guys beware, if you have forced your wife and/or girlfriend to watch NASCAR, NFL Playoffs, of Avatar recently you may owe her an It’s Complicated. This movie is one of the worse kind of Chick-Flicks because it does not contain the usual giveaways such as casts consisting of Julie Roberts and Mathew McConaughey, trailers containing current pop cultural references, elderly people saying perverted things, or know it all children. To the untrained moviegoer, you may be fooled into seeing this movie thinking you are safe based on the cast. After all, Alec Baldwin was in Hunt for Red October, Steve Martin was in the Jerk, and Meryl Streep was in Sofie’s Choice. They are all capable of doing good work. However, from the beginning of It’s Complicated you know you have been had.
Meryl Streep falls into the usual clichéd character of the middle age woman who is sad about her fading looks and lack of social life. Alec Baldwin stars as her playboy ex-husband who years before divorced Meryl and married a younger sexier woman. The story takes shape when Alec Baldwin, in an apparent momentary loss of eye sight, ends up sleeping with Streep at one of their kid’s graduations. Steve Martin, most likely trying to avoid foreclose on his Hollywood home, is cast as the recovering from a divorce good guy. This is another chick-flick cliché which is done so the women in the theatre do not go out after the movie and randomly stab middle age men in the parking lot. Streep is inevitably caught in the middle of the Baldwin-Martin love triangle where she blows off work, smokes pot, and feels young again in a very baby boomer self involved manner. Insert a sarcastic know-it-all child and John Kransinki, who is rapidly becoming a chick-flick mainstay, and hilarity has to ensue!!!!
This movie is by no means the worse chick-flick ever made. It does have a few poignant moments including the Streep conversation with her kids regarding divorce. However, make no mistake, this flick is estrogen fueled. On my chick-flick scale, with one being Princess Bride and ten being Steel Magnolias, It’s Complicated rates a solid 5.5, better than Runaway Bride but not as good As You Can Count on Me.
As a side note, the only worse thing then having to watch a chick-flick is the audience you have to watch it with. This usually consists, of pissed off husbands and boyfriends, people owning all of the books Oprah has recommended, women who will laugh at everything, and people who have never seen a movie before.