Review of Greenberg (2010) by Jessica F — 25 May 2011

I was a little, well more than a little wary of this, mainly because Margot At The Wedding was such a letdown with a cast of characters who could not be liked or related to, so it was a relief to find this the exact opposite.

Casting Stiller in the lead was genius, he has the exact characteristics Baumbach needed to craft a character you wanted to stick with to the end, and this time too the story was much more likeable, with Stiller in Royal Tenenbaums mode as the OCD middle aged man suffering from a loss of drive.

At times it's very funny, but most of the time it is played as just a quirky drama, and surprisingly Stiller really excelled in the role. And he was excellently supported by Greta Gerwig, her performance as a girl who has also reached a crossroads in her life is endearing despite some of her way over the top geekiness.

And while their relationship is a little strange and hard to believe at times (and let's face it, which Baumbach movie doesn't include that storyline!), their acting keeps you interested, as the two search for meaning and a way forward, while Stiller also attempts to comprehend where it all went wrong, from his past relationship with the ever wonderful Jenifer Jason Leigh to the break up of his band.

The characterisation of the two leads is well built, allowing you to understand and care for them despite their obvious flaws, and Baumbach deserves recognition for that. Let's hope he can continue to craft interesting stories of the socially inept which are both engaging and likeable.

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