It’s Complicated (2010)

Love's complicated apparently... Cast: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski & Lake Bell Directed by: Nancy Meyers Screenplay by: Nancy Meyers Plot: Jane (Streep) and Jake (Baldwin) divorced nearly a decade ago but after a boozy night they begin an affair and start to rediscover their feelings for each other. But Jake is already re-married and Jane has just started seeing nice-guy architect, Adam (Martin). Verdict: Its bad enough that most romantic comedies outstay there welcome even with a 90min runtime. So when a rom-com tries to keep our attention for 120mins it's always going to be a bit of a slog. Nancy Meyers latest, It's Complicated, does indeed come close to the 2-hour mark and does indeed drag. But thankfully it's not all bad. The chirpy cast do a decent job of sustaining our interest in the typically cliched plot. Meryl Streep delivers a professional and very watchable performance and of course you would expect nothing less. After slumming it in rubbish like Cheaper By The Dozen and The Pink Panther in recent years, Steve Martin gives a restrained performance with a few glimpses of his past wacky persona; but at times he does come across a bit creepy. Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin - who is now a household name when it comes to comedy thanks to his brilliant turn on the hit TV show, 30 Rock - has plenty of fun and comes across very likable despite the fact he is effectively playing a sleaze ball. So it's a shame that the rest of the film doesn't play its part. It's Complicated is in fact not complicated at all. It's a bog standard rom-com that abides by the same old rules and follows the same tired path. So yes you would have figured out the ending 10mins in and yes you will second-guess every decision the characters make. The increasingly irritating performances from Jane's three children don't help as the film progresses either. And as for Jake's wife played by Lake Bell, it's a classic case of 'badly underwritten'. But just when you think It's Complicated is a complete disappointment despite the lead's best efforts, along comes John Krasinski. Much like Baldwin, Krasinski is a household name himself thanks to the U.S version of The Office, still going strong after four seasons. Here, Krasinski simply steals the entire movie with a mini masterclass in how to generate as many laughs as possible from a tiny supporting role. He's so good in fact; It's Complicated is worth watching at least once just to see his hilarious performance.

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