Review of The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017) by Thequietgamer — 24 Nov 2017

Dry comedy and dysfunctional family drama come together in a very familiar tale that's sadly lacking in soul. I can deal with embittered characters and no real sense of conclusion, especially when the former is brought to life by an incredibly talented cast, but where's the heart? The movie is missing the element that makes me both empathize with and actually like the people onscreen. Without that we're just left watching these characters talk over each other. It gets kind of obnoxious, which I guess is kind of the point as it makes for a believable dynamic. The realism alone though does not for a compelling drama make. It must also be emotionally effective.

The movie is not without some merits though. It is a remarkably well made film and the performances of it's cast are nothing short of stellar. Adam Sandler once again shows that he can actually act when he steps away from Happy Madison. His work here might just be the best of his career. As good as he is though, it's Ben Stiller who steals the show. His emotional performance manages to stand out amongst the like of Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, as well as the rare change of pace for Sandler. The movie also has several humorous moments. It's things like this that make it respectable in face of it's flaws. One of which is the inclusion of the bizarre and pornographic bits of what I can only assume is shock humor that comes in the form of films made by the daughter of Sandler's character. If they're meant as some sort of sub-message hidden within, then the point is lost because of how out of place and, well, stupid they feel.

It's always nice to see Sandler outside of his comfort zone. When he does viewers are shown that there's more to the actor than meets the eye. He also walks away with a critically acclaimed film under his belt, which is a rarity for him. It's just a shame that The Meyerowitz stories doesn't deliver the same level of quality as Punch-Drunk Love or Reign Over Me. Unfortunately, Noah Baumbach's film, like it's characters, is sadly missing a crucial element of it's being that keeps it from achieving true functionality. As a result I was ultimately unable to fully engage with it, but there are still things about it that I found respectable. So there's a chance it might do something for others that it did not do for me.

6.