4.5/5 While We're Young I am going to use today’s space to say what some Baumbach fans might see as heresy. I think the director’s latest film, While We’re Young, is better than his critically acclaimed 2012 hit Frances Ha. I know. Crazy. I do not want to hate on Frances. Nothing in the new film reads as artistically astute as the beautiful black-and-white cinematography or the eccentric performance from Greta Gerwig, but While We’re Young packs a stronger punch in the form of emotional depth and relatable characters. The film centers around the childless, middle-aged couple of Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia (Naomi Watts). Their friends, played by Orange is the New Black’s Maria Dizzia and Adam Horovitz of The Beastie Boys, have become parents and moved on from their youthful ways. Having not completely bought in to the baby cult quite just yet, Josh and Cornelia begin to go through some serious midlife crisis issues. The catalyst for the couple’s newfound spark comes about after Josh meets Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried), a free-spirited husband and wife who live life in the now, in one of his lectures on documentary filmmaking. You see, Josh is a filmmaker with one great documentary under his belt and eight years of writer’s block behind him. Nothing that two young hipsters, full of life and ambitions of their own, can’t fix. The conflict of the film lies in the ambitions of Jamie. At first, the aspiring documentarian inspires Josh with a mixture of fresh ideas and hero flattery. However, this shared affection soon turns bitter. | Director: Noah Baumbach Starring: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Horovitz Writer: Noah Baumbach |
For instance, Josh spends a portion of the movie trying to get creative advice from his mentor-turned-father-in-law (Charles Grodin), only to lock up and get angry when he hears something he does not want to hear. If we look at this scene from a functional standpoint, it does not really do anything but punctuate the fact that Josh is having trouble finishing his movie and that he has a competitive, shaky relationship with his wife’s dad. From a different angle, however, we can see that there are many emotions boiling under the surface. Josh, a careerist who believes in the notion that a work is either good or bad, is having an internal battle between what he was (his mentor’s failed prodigy) to what he thinks he may want to be (like Jamie). Having his father criticize his work, in a way, rejects both personas, an internal struggle that tailspins Josh throughout the remainder of the film. There’s good stuff here, you just have to dial in to Baumbach’s frequencies.
I understand that not everyone will be able to jump on the train, and I also think the director knows that as well. There is one particular scene where Josh is pitching his idea to a trust fund kind looking to invest his money in a film that he deems interesting. Needless to say, Josh’s doc does not quite meet this young dude’s qualifications, but watching him try and explain the overtly-complex thesis of his film sure is hilarious. Whether he did it on purpose or not, I think this scene is a message to the audience from the director. Sure, some people may not get what you are going for, but that’s ok. While We’re Young does not hold particular judgement on the young investor, or any of its characters for that matter. That does not meet the director should change his way of doing things, though.
I have talked about Josh a lot walking through my reflections, but it’s only because I related to him the most. This is what I meant earlier when I said that While We’re Young wins with its relatable characters. I may have experienced the film partly through Josh’s eyes, but it is completely possible that you may have a totally different experience. In fact, I hope that is the case. Go in with a judgement-free mind and get yourself emotionally involved with these admittedly flawed characters.
Baumbach’s writing is fantastic, but his films would be nothing without the talented performers he enlists to act out his creations. While We’re Young ranks up there with his best in terms of acting. Driver and Seyfried are excellent, of course, but even the smaller roles like those held by Peter Yarrow are worth celebrating. Nothing, however, is worth treasuring more than the two leads. Naomi Watts, so wonderful in last year’s Birdman, continues her winning streak with Cornelia. Watching her character come to grips with the ideas of relationships and motherhood is powerful and heart-wrenching. Same goes for Stiller. I do not feel like we really appreciate what a dynamic dramatic actor he can be when handed the right role. We all know he can pack in the laughs, but there is something more underneath that surface.
Like its characters, the film itself carries with it flaws, as many great films do. Some of the characterizations can be a little too extreme, such as Jamie and Darby’s hippest of the hip lifestyle - the hallucination party scene is a bit much. The same can be said of the main couple’s mundane routines. The reality probably lies somewhere in the middle, but I understand why the characters could only be the way they were. Without its flaws, While We’re Young would not be the same film. Like the characters, the problems are essential to understanding the essence of the story.