Review of Greenberg (2010) by Iris B — 05 Sep 2010

Weird, frustrating, and difficult to get into, at least initially, but it rewards your patience with a funny, unique film about an emotionally abusive jackass who somehow manages to get a gorgeous blond almost half his age to fall in love with him. Just like what happens in real life all the time! Ah, accurate portrays, how I love them.

The first half hour of this is painful. Nothing happens, and it's a serious problem because it made me debate turning the thing off and cursing the heavens in frustration over all the praise it had received. Luckily, once things do start to happen, it gets really interesting, and funny.

There are some really good moments, especially a brilliant party scene near the end involving lines of coke and Ben Stiller's character spouting bitter philosophy at a small group of stoned, disinterested teens. That was arguably one of the best, most interesting character moments I've seen in a film in ages, and worth the price of admission alone were this film otherwise not as good as it eventually becomes.

And Stiller himself is brilliant in this. It's his best performance, hands down. I never saw him as a serious actor, or a particularly great one, but this performance, man. He's very good. Unfortunately Greta Gerwig, the girl who plays the aforementioned gorgeous blond, is rather stiff. She's nice to look at, real nice, and I've seen her in a few other films and know she can sort of act, but she was pretty emotionless in this. If this was intentional, it was a bad decision on the director's part to allow it.

Unfortunately, though the film is good, it's also very annoying at times, and illogical. Stiller's character is such a prick, so unlikeable, that I found it hard to believe that a girl as attractive, and as young, as Gerwig would be interested in him, especially after all the stuff he does to her. I understand that she's emotionally numb and just wants to feel something and all that, but come on. The guy is an abusive, unlikeable loser; a self centered, neurotic jerk with few, if any, redeeming qualities. And he's old. Surely there must be someone better out there?

**SPOILERS** Their first sexual encounter alone makes absolutely no sense. And man, what an uncomfortable moment it is. I almost wanted to throw up afterward. There's just something nasty about it, robotic, almost forced, as though Gerwig's character threw her hands up in defeat knowing she didn't have a say in the matter and let him do to her whatever he wanted. But why? Is it because she's lonely? But if that's the case, why the old, neurotic guy? Why not someone nicer, and closer to her in age? **END SPOILERS**.

The woman is the weak one in the film; weak emotionally, weak financially, weak mentally. She has no will of her own, and this is evident from the very beginning of the film. And Stiller's character, though a jackass in every sense of the word, is strong, and is able to overpower her with his constant need for control. It's a relationship very much based on manipulation, on a woman feeling powerless and yielding to a man whom she thinks has all the answers, despite his really having none.

The ultimate message of this film is interesting, and frustrating, and hard to put into words. I'm not doing it justice in this review, as it's complex and prone to many interpretations. It's an observation of a pretty unhealthy relationship, one that gives the initial impression of being ultimately successful, but, in retrospect, is about as likely to end in disaster as a relationship can.

It's a difficult film, but it does have moments of humor, and it is very well written. I recommend it, but only if you have the patience for such things. Also, Brie Larson is awesome and I love her very much.