Review of Greenberg (2010) by Thom M — 10 Jan 2011

Baumbach continues on with creating this surreal abstract story of people who are so out there that it somewhat makes them so much more real in that aspect. Noah has a great knack for developing these characters who are so stuck in life, never really owning up to their potential. Greenberg is a more tame scenario, much like Kicking and Screaming, but blending the styles he's acquired throughout his career; this translates to a very great balance in not being too dry or dependent on overzealous acts.

Ben Stiller's career continues to prove itself as sort of chameleon like, not that he's a great character actor but that sometimes you see his own potential and sometimes you don't. I think he has some sort of rule that for every 5 bad movies, he'll do 1 good one. In a world where we have Stiller being an obnoxious Focker, it's nice to see him dig down more with his indie side and actually take a breath as an actor.