Once upon a time in a land far, far away called Meyersworld, there lived a middle- aged baker named Jane. She had three lovely children and many funny, supportive girlfriends She ran a successful business. She lived in a gorgeous home in a chic community, but she was lonely.
Thus begins a fairy tale movie entitled It’s Complicated, the latest from writer/director/producer Nancy Meyers.
Contrary to the title, the plot is quite simple . The lonely baker, played with great gusto by Meryl Streep, has an affair with her ex- husband played by the wonderfully smarmy Alec Baldwin. The ex- husband is currently married to a younger woman with whom he cheated on Jane. In the meantime, Jane engages an architect named Adam (Steve Martin) to add on to her already impossibly lovely home. Adam develops a romantic interest in his client. What’s a baker to do? Hilarious sneaking around ensues but also disappointment and guilt.
Streep and Baldwin ham it up to the max, and John Krasiniski practically steals the show as the fiancé every mother dreams of for her daughter. As always, the sets in Meyersworld are worthy of an Architectural Digest feature story. From the darling, shimmery bakery/restaurant (which apparently grosses millions of dollars), the meticulously manicured vegetable garden, to the huge eat- in kitchen where something yummy is always on the table, perfection reigns.
It’s Complicated is not as a good as Nancy Meyers’ similar film Something’s Gotta Give staring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. The script of the later is better, but more significantly, Diane Keaton plays middle- aged neurosis (actually any age neurosis) better than Meryl Streep. A cartoon in this week’s issue of The New Yorker sums it up. As a couple is leaving the movie theater, the wife says, “I prefer Meryl Streep not having fun.”
But who doesn’t enjoy a fairy tale? And a 60 year old woman with two lovers is a fairy tale!
