It's Complicated

 

The middle-aged demographic is notably underserved in mainstream romantic comedy, but on the occasion that it is, it would be nice to see an alternative interpretation than the kind displayed by director Nancy Meyers. In It’s Complicated Meryl Streep is Jane, the loveable patisserie-owning ex-wife of the buffoon-like Jake (Alec Baldwin). The two reignite an affair a decade after Jake's remarriage to the young, beautiful and neurotic Agness (Lake Bell). As in most of Meyers' work, Jane lives a fairytale life in a chocolate-box home, which in this case is undergoing redesign by the earnestly admiring architect Adam (Steve Martin). Despite some poignant moments and a satisfying ending, the actors are let down by a script that just isn’t very funny. Doobie-smoking and sexual slapstick are lazily infused to illustrate how ‘young at heart’ our protagonists are while Jane and her cackling girlfriends enjoy cringe-worthy ‘girlie’ chats. Like Jane, Meyers’ confections are nice to look at but sickly sweet and hard to finish.