Let today's quick takes column serve as a juxtaposition between two wildly different films. On the one hand, you have an intensely fascinating, painfully funny, and uncompromising masterwork that features some of the most daring, challenging, and unique material of any film in recent years. On the other hand, you have a juvenile, disastrous big-budget groaner that goes for easy, cheap comedic targets. Extraordinarily talented people are involved in both movies. So how can one be a symbol of sharp wit and audacity, while the other a symbol of cringe-inducing formula?
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Let's start with the film that demands to be seen. "Greenberg", the sixth directorial effort from the always interesting writer-director Noah Baumbach ("The Squid and the Whale"), takes us inside the life of Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller), an incessantly prickly, deeply insecure man who bristles at what he views as the vast emptiness of life and the ignorance of the people around him. Greenberg finds a modicum of happiness when he temporarily moves to Los Angeles to care for the house of his brother, who is out of town. There, he meets his brother's assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig), a quiet, kind-hearted soul of unique charm and beauty. Whereas most people are repulsed by Greenberg, Florence is drawn to his neurosis. The two strike an on-again, off-again romance that goes through some tumult, as both Greenberg and Florence try to adjust to the other's oddities. Their bond is hard to break, however, as each finds solace in the other amidst the turbulence of their everyday lives.
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This material makes for some of the most beautifully nuanced, endlessly fascinating scenes of any movie I've seen in recent years. Baumbach's focused direction strikes just the perfect note, and his writing is honest and darkly funny, sometimes painfully so. Ben Stiller is a revelation, giving the type of gritty performance that we have rarely seen from him. It is a tremendous piece of acting, the best work that Stiller has ever done. And Greta Gerwig is also outstanding. A heretofore unknown name, Gerwig is bound to dazzle us with her remarkable talent in the years to come. Stiller and Gerwig work perfectly together, and both should receive Oscar consideration. And so should this movie. Now out on DVD, "Greenberg" is a wonderful gem.
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From one of the best movies of 2010 to one of the worst, let's shift our focus to "Grown-Ups". The latest entry in the Adam Sandler filmography has a truly great cast, but it is such an enormous waste of talent. Chris Rock is one of the funniest people on the planet, but the screenplay (co-written by Sandler) here has him saying and doing absolutely nothing of comedic value. Adam Sandler and David Spade are restricted to making lame jokes about sex and flatulence, Kevin James is simply the victim of some truly tired physical shtick, and Rob Schneider......well, he has never been funny, so his futility in this movie should not come as a surprise. And what are Salma Hayek and Maria Bello, two magnificent actresses, doing in this mess?!
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Despite this misfire, I remain a fan of Adam Sandler. He always comes across as funny and charming in his talk-show appearances. Of his commercial comedies, I enjoy "Happy Gilmore" and "50 First Dates", and I love "The Wedding Singer". In his best films ("Spanglish"; "Punch-Drunk Love"; "Funny People"), Sandler has also displayed some serious acting chops. But in the Sandler filmography, "Grown-Ups" is in the same lowly category as "Billy Madison", "The Waterboy", "Mr. Deeds", "Anger Management", and "Little Nicky", all very bad films that rely far too heavily on third-grade humor for easy laughs.
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