If you love watching Meryl Streep, are enjoying the renaissance of Alec Baldwin as a comedic actor, and like Steve Martin playing it straight, you’re a candidate to enjoy It’s Complicated as much as I did. With Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday) at the helm as…
writer and director you know you’re going to see appealing characters in spectacularly attractive settings…and you needn’t fear there will be any discussion of the economic downturn. In fact, this has little to do with reality; it’s a genteel romantic comedy that just happens to feature three supremely talented actors “of a certain age” in the leading roles. (Baldwin actually plays “older,” which not many actors would be willing to do; a line of dialogue pegs him as being in his late 50s. In fact, he’s a decade younger than his costars.)
Meyers specializes in elegant escapism, and sets her stories against elegant backdrops, using beautifully decorated sets and homes; this film is no exception. Santa Barbara is especially picturesque as depicted here.
How much you enjoy It’s Complicated may have to do with your expectations. I don’t mean to damn the film with faint praise, but I wasn’t expecting anything edgy or innovative. I anticipated a good-looking film about good-looking people who are caught in a love triangle, and that’s just what I got. Not many movies deliver completely on their promise, but this one does.
