Review of It's Complicated (2009) by Stuart K — 29 Mar 2014

Written and directed by Nancy Meyers (What Women Want (2000), Something's Gotta Give (2003) and The Holiday (2006)), this is a very silly romantic comedy which gives it's cast the excuse to clown about and get into all sorts of comedic misunderstandings.

It's hardly a sophisticated comedy, but it does have it's fun moments, and the cast give it their all. Jane Adler (Meryl Streep) runs a successful bakery in Santa Barbara, California. She was once married to Jake Adler (Alec Baldwin), but they divorced 10 years before, after Jake cheated on Jane with Agness (Lake Bell), whom he later married.

However, after attending the college graduation of their son Luke (Hunter Parrish), and after a reunion dinner, Jane and Jake have an affair, but they decide to keep it a secret from their children. However, back in Santa Barbara, Jane has been seeing recently divorced architect Adam Schaffer (Steve Martin), but it seems that Jake is looking to leave Agness and get back with Jane once again.

This sort of thing has been done before and it owes a lot to the screwball comedies of the 1940's, and this could have been made back then, but it would have been a lot tamer thank this, which is quite raunchy in places, but it's good to see you can't get some laughs from a romantic comedy about middle aged lovers.