Exes Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Alec Baldwin) flirt in the new comedy from Nancy Meyers, &quot;It&#8217;s Complicated.&quot;
Exes Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Alec Baldwin) flirt in the new comedy from Nancy Meyers, "It's Complicated." (Universal Studios)

There's a surprising fondness for the double negative in "It's Complicated," starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. Consider it a grammatical hint that things will get a bit messy.

Which is precisely what happens in writer-director Nancy Meyers' riotous and tender comedy about a middle-aged woman who has an affair with her ex-husband 10 years after they've divorced.

The first double neg comes as Jane (Streep) entertains friends, played by Rita Wilson, Mary Kay Place and Alexandra Wentworth. Jane is the lovely owner of a successful bakery in Santa Barbara. While ex-husband Jake (Baldwin) is married to a younger woman who has a little kid of her own, Jane hasn't done much dating in the intervening years.

"I'm not not doing it on purpose," she says with a tight smile when the trio express concern over her ongoing drought in physical intimacy.

This presumably common ailment of the single woman of a certain age will be remedied when Jane and Jake hook up in New York, where they travel for their son's graduation.

Jake's wife, Agness (Lake Bell of the very taut abs), has stayed in California along with her terror tot, Pedro.

Her absence (and some wine) make Jake and Jane's hearts grow fonder. Wham. They're having a fling. Who'd a thunk it? Certainly not Jane.

"It's Complicated" has a generous spirit. It teases the naughty (infidelity and a bit of pot smoking) and nice (the importance of being loving parents long after you've stopped being mates) with finesse.


Martin arrives to make a crazed duet an intriguing triangle. Martin gently underplays Adam, the divorced architect hired to add a long-planned addition to Jane's house. His eyes squinch a lot, suggesting the kind of sweet pain that comes when old heartbreak and new romantic possibilities converge.

Baldwin's Jake is just about the most appealing lout that's ever graced and (mildly) disgraced the screen.

Divorce is especially complicated, of course, when there are kids involved. Jane and Jake's grown children are youngest Gabby (wide-eyed Zoe Kazan); graduating college senior Luke (Hunter Parrish of "Weeds") and eldest Lauren (Caitlin Fitzgerald).

Burdened with a growing certainty that something's up is future son-in-law, Harley. "The Office" star John Krasinski is utterly winning as the newest family member. He approaches his new role with touching seriousness. And Jane and Jake's furtive shenanigans test his discretion and protective reflexes again and again.

For classic hilarity, there's a scene at a hotel where Harley and Lauren are planning their wedding as Jane and Jake rendezvous.

Making us laugh in telling ways, especially in a time-worn genre like the romantic comedy, can be tough. There's a reason for the saying "Death is easy, comedy is hard."

Meyers' films — from "What Women Want" to "Something's Gotta Give" to the underappreciated "The Holiday" — have consistently surmounted the challenges.

Sure, "Up in the Air" is the more ambitiously modern comedy. But this often hysterical romp has a Hollywood Golden Era ease. Simply put, "It's Complicated" is a hoot.

Who among us cannot not appreciate that?


R for some drug content and sexuality. 2 hours. Written and directed by Nancy Meyers; photography by John Toll; starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinki, Lake Bell, Mary Kay Place, Rita Wilson, Alexandra Wentworth, Hunter Parrish, Zoe Kazan. Opens today at area theaters.