Review of Greenberg (2010) by Ed F — 14 Jan 2011

Having only seen one other of Baumbach's films, The Squid and the Whale (2005), and not being that fond of it, I didn't really know how to approach Greenberg. I had planned to catch it in the cinema last year, despite the lukewarm reviews, but missed it, then it cropped up in Xan Brooks's 2010 top ten list and I found it in HMV for £3, so I gave it a try. Though I make a point of approaching Ben Stiller's recent filmography with considerable caution, he actually turns in a very decent and nuanced performance as Roger Greenberg, an uptight buffoon who spends his days either "doing nothing" or writing complaining letters to prestigious companies. Here he demonstrates just how good an actor he can be, if only he stopped spending nights in museums with the Focker clan. The delightful Gretta Gerwig is similarly excellent in her role of Florence, a personal assistant who has so much more to give.

Baumbach's directorial style is typically lofty and detached and that sort of lets the film down in a way as the minimal storyline takes a while to get into its stride. The film sort of coasts along at a reasonably slow pace and only really picks up during a house party staged well into the film, yet this leisurely pace isn't exactly a bad thing as it allows these characters to breath and the patchy relationship between Roger and Florence to flourish. The director's quirkiness reminds me of a more restrained Wes Anderson, and though he never achieves his levels of brilliance, he has made a very watchable film in Greenberg.