Review of While We're Young (2015) by Alberto A — 14 Jul 2015

Hilariously written and directed by Noah Baumbach, â??While Weâ??re Youngâ?? is a film about time, and all the ascribed to-do-lists that come with aging. It tells the story of Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia (Naomi Watts), a couple in their 40s whose conformity to societal rules (e.g. having monkeys, aka children) are challenged when they meet a vibrant and upbeat couple in their 20s, Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried), the hipster couple par excellence. They have an LP collection, they know everything about a time in which they were not even born yet, and Jamie is a documentary filmmaker (PERFECT!). Therefore, against the backdrop of Joshâ??s and Corneliaâ??s tiny little mid-life crisis, they felt dazzled by that young sparkle Jamie and Darby had.

As the plot thickens, â??While Weâ??re Youngâ?? turns from a really smart comedy, to a more meaningful and multi-layered film that criticizes the lack of identity in todayâ??s youth, the originality of the work provided by artists nowadays (from its veracity to its significance), and a harsh criticism to the fad profession of being a documentary filmmaker in a world where everything is already documented. Being part of the todayâ??s youth, I can definitely see what Baumbach is conveying. There is more concern about making something cool, shallow, and often phony, than making something meaningful thatâ??s coming directly from our entrails (quite deep within us), which is what I believe to be the definition of art, among other things. Maybe Baumbach is not a fan of the coming artists and doubts their truthfulness as creators. I would not be surprised if thatâ??s where the idea of this film came from.

The cast is amazing. Adam Driver nails it as the pretentious hipster documentarian who loves kissing the ass of older generations because of his own lack of identity. Amanda Seyfried does not have a very special role but she is great, and she makes ice cream. Finally, Naomi Watts and Ben Stiller are awesome as the couple who refuse to identify themselves with the people their own age because they are not parents and still want to cling on to their time as youngsters. You can imagine my reaction when I finished watching â??While Weâ??re Youngâ?? and I realized that I had just seen a film starring Ben Stiller thatâ??s worth talking about (Yes, not a fan of Stiller). Really, this film is full of surprises, and for being a comedy, it is quite thought-provoking.