Divorced couple ignite old passions
A woman having an affair with a married man is not an unusual plot line for a movie.
When the married man is the woman’s ex-husband, the plot thickens.
When the ex-husband is married to his former mistress, who is pressuring him to have a child in spite of the fact he is 50-years-old and still in love with his ex-wife, “It’s Complicated.”
Nancy Meyers (“What Women Want”) wrote and directed this film in rich comedic style.
Meyers had help in bringing her story to life with the fine performances of Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep and Steve Martin.
Jane (Streep) is finally getting her life in balance after being divorced for 10 years from her cheating husband, Jake.
Jake (Baldwin) is miserable in his marriage to his former mistress, Agness (Lake Bell)
Agness has a great figure, a bad attitude and a young son from an affair she had while married to Jake.
Confused yet? There’s more.
While staying at the same hotel the night before their son’s graduation, Jake and Jane have a few drinks, dance a bit, and end the night in bed together.
Jake is sure they are meant to be together again. Jane is not so positive.
Enter Steve Martin as Jane’s architect, Adam, to further complicate matters as he falls for Jane.
After a fiasco in the Pink Panther series, Martin is back on his game in this movie.
The character suits his personality and comedy style.
Streep and Baldwin play the divorced couple beautifully.
There is just enough tension between them, and just enough residual love, to make the idea of an affair plausible.
The movie has an R rating for some drug content and sexuality (a nude Alec Baldwin).
Truth be told, this is not a movie small children would enjoy or understand.
This film is instead a great example of adult comedy.
Yes, it is complicated, but it is also two hours of fun and laughing out loud at a tale the audience seemed familiar with.
If you need a night of entertainment, and some good hearty laughter, “It’s Complicated” will deliver.
Rating: A
—Cynthia Praefke
Staff Writer
