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“It’s Complicated” aimed at a specific audience



There are certain movies that are made with a specific audience in mind. “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” for instance, is a film made primarily for pre-pubescent girls who are far too pre-occupied with Team Jacob and Team Edward (I’m Team Jacob, by the way, just because Edward looks like he eats babies). That’s not to say that the only people going to “New Moon” are little girls, but they are certainly the target audience. Sometimes a film is so laser-pointed at a particular demographic that it could be hard for anyone else to truly relate to the film. This is the case when it comes to “It’s Complicated.” If you are not a divorced woman from the Baby Boom Generation, you might be hard pressed to fully enjoy this movie on all levels. If you are a divorced woman from the Baby Boom Generation, then “It’s Complicated” is tailor-made for you.

The film takes place in Santa Barbara, where we meet up with Jane (Meryl Streep), a successful bakery owner, who has her home to herself now that the last of her three kids have moved out. Going through a sort of mid-life crisis, she ends up having an affair with her ex-husband, Jake (Alec Baldwin), who she divorced ten years ago. Jake is having problems aplenty with his current trophy-wife, and falls instantly back in love with Jane. Jane is incredibly confused by her own feelings, not knowing if she is sleeping with Jake out of revenge or loneliness. The final layer of complication is added when Jane meets Adam (Steve Martin), a recently divorced architect who is working on an addition for her home and is obviously smitten with her. The result is a tangled love triangle that Jane must sort out herself.

What elevates “It’s Complicated” beyond the standard romantic comedy fare are the performances. Meryl Streep, as always, is fantastic at bringing the role of Jane to life. She is very comfortable with caressing the comedy out of the material, and the film wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without her. Alec Baldwin, as the ex-husband, has some fine moments as well, however, there are times that his performance comes off as just plain creepy, and it’s hard to find what Jane could possibly see in him. Steve Martin gives an uneven performance as Adam. His early scenes in the film, where he’s supposed to be reserved and shy, come off as just plain stiff acting making you feel that he’s just delivering lines.

Written and directed by Nancy Meyers (“Something’s Got to Give” and “What Women Want”), “It’s Complicated” has a few shining moments. There is a scene involving some pot smoking in the middle of the film that is a true high point. The banter between Streep and Baldwin seems honest and real. There are a handful of wonderful moments between the two. At times, however, the dialogue is heavy handed and forced, and the film seems too long overall. To trim fifteen minutes would have made a world of improvement.

What “It’s Complicated” points out is that life never gets easier. A middle-aged woman can have her entire world turned upside down and new chapters in life are always unfolding. There is comfort to be found in these thoughts…especially if you’re a middle aged woman.


DVD BONUS FEATURES
- The Making of: It's Complicated
Feature Commentary with Producer/Writer/Director Nancy Meyers, Executive Producer Suzanne Farwell, Director of Photography John Toll, ASC and Editor Joe Hutshing, ACE

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