Not that complicated

It's complicated
A; Drama/Romance
Dir: Nancy Meyers
Cast: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and John Krasinksi
**1/2



Mid-life crises seem to be the subject du jour in Hollywood's romcom-universe. Not surprisingly, Meyers crafts this December romance between three geezers - a divorcee baker, Jane (Streep), her remarried and much harried ex, Jake (Baldwin) and Jane's winsome architect Adam (Martin). Jane and Jake obviously have unfinished business as is apparent when they reignite the passion they once shared for each other over a weekend when they come together for their son's graduation. Meanwhile, Jane finds herself steadily (though reluctantly) falling for her new architect Adam. But who will the lady walk into the sunset with? That is the question the film seeks to answer.

Jane is spoilt for choice between a known devil and an unknown one.u00a0 Streep is always a delight to watch as is her somewhat potbellied ex, played by Alec Baldwin.

The film sees a sliver of the bohemian charm seen in Mamma Mia! (also a Streep-starrer).

The premise isn't really all that new and has no real pull, so to speak of, besides the cast, of course. It's a throwback to the screwball sub-genre of romcoms. The film's pace is almost comatose and nothing really happens (where's the ebb and flow, people? Give us some variety!). And what can I say of Steve Martin. Loved the guy's craziness in his films all the way to Bowfinger. Here, the actor puts the 'dead' back in deadpan. Sigh! Adam gets back into the Steve groove only after a few drags on Jake's specially rolled joint. If that's what it takes...

Moreover, there's a prolonged sequence of drug usage. Simply not done when you're being preachy..

As Streep's character says, "Too much time has passed". Using gadgets to connect won't really bring this dated script up to speed. It'll take more than that. It's as simple as that.