Its Complicated – Best Divorce Comedy Movies

Its Complicated – Best Divorce Comedy Movies

This is a review of “It’s Complicated…” the divorce comedy movie,  a delighfully stark Meryl Streep,  Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin and many well known others. This movie shows surprising fondness for the double negative. More on that in a moment.

To think that a grammatical hint that can turn the things into being little messy!

And exactly the same has happened in this movie, written and directed by Nancy Meyers.

This movie is a light comedy about a middle-aged woman who has an affair with her ex-husband, ten years after they were divorced from each other.

The first double negative is in the form of Jane (Streep) entertaining friends, the role of the friends being played by Rita Wilson, Mary Kay Place and Alexandra Wentworth.

Jane looks lovely being the successful bakery owner in Santa Barbara.

Jake (Baldwin), the ex-husband of Jane is married to a younger woman having a little kid of her own.  On the other hand, Jane hasn’t done much dating in the years in between.  She expresses herself that she is not going on much dating purposefully and she gives a tight smile when the trio express concern over her living alone without any physical intimacy.

This being the common pain of any single woman in a certain age, would hopefully be over when Jake and Jane meet again in New York where they are going as their common son is getting the graduation degree.

Whereas the present wife of Jake, namely Agness, having a look of Lake Bell having very tightly stretched abs, has preferred to stay in California along with her small child, Pedro, which is like a symbol of terror.

Jake and Jane grew closer due to her absence and of course, a little wine may have helped. It seems as if Jake and Jane have sealed the deal. No one would have believed that they would fall for each other. Not even Jane. An “it’s complicated” relationship can develop into something special.

The naughty fall into the trap and the nice are not spared!

With the arrival of Martin, wildly excited couple start making secret plans, all the three joining together.  Martin underperforms the role of Adam in a gentle way.  He being the divorced planner, his services have been hired to add to the long term planning towards Jane’s house.

The clicking of his eyes suggest the kind of sweet pain that comes out when the old hearts break and new romantic avenues become open.  Jake of Baldwin is just about the most appealing ill-mannered man that has ever added glory and little disgrace to the screen.

When there are kids involved, divorce is complicated.  Jane & Jake’s adult children are youngest Gabby (Zoe Kazan), college senior Luke (Hunter Parrish of “Weeds”) and the oldest of the clan Lauren (Caitlin Fitzgerald).

Utterly winning in his role as the soon-to-be son-in-law is John Krasinski (from “The Office”), who plays Harley who becomes burdened with the knowledge that something is up between Jane & Jake, whose shenanigans test his discretion over and over.

Classically Hilarious is Harley and Lauren disguised as Jane and Jake are planning their wedding at a place agreed upon for by them and the same being a hotel.

Making people laugh by their various ways and actions like that in an old time romantic comedy is not an easy job.

There is a saying, “Death is easy, but comedy is hard.”  The movies of Meyers like “What Women Want”, “Something’s Gotta Give” and the not much appreciated one “The Holiday?” have been successful in accepting the challenge of comedy in a consistent manner.

Undoubtedly, “Up in the Air” is a modern comedy and can be termed as being more ambitious.  But this also usually presents in an easy manner, an outbursts of emotions found in Hollywood Golden Era.

To say that it is complicated one would be simply a cry of disapproval.  Everybody cannot appreciate that from the heart.

To read more about the movie check out this plot summary.