Greenberg Review

There comes a time in a comedy actor's life where he wakes up one day, decides his tried and tested formula of making people laugh isn't enough purpose in his life and decides to try his hand at serious acting. Sometimes, this fails (Adam Sandler in that segway film) but for some strange reason, these ventures usually work (Jim Carey in Truman Show, Will Ferell in Stranger Than Fiction). Greenberg is one of those ventures.

From the writer of The Squid and the Whale, Greenberg is a film about being a grown up and how shit it is. What do you do all day when all your friends are off having babies, barbequeues and divorces and you're a socially awkward, boderline asshole living in the phoniest place on the planet? These are the issues that face Greenberg, played by Ben Stiller. And he does a good job. The famous Ben Stiller freakout shticks are limited, he gives sympathy to a character that doesn't really deserve any. This is a great performance from an actor that (in my mind) is best known as "the other Adam Sandler" (I always get them mixed up). I don't really like Ben Stiller, and I certainly don't like that he's giving Tom Cruise another platform to make an ass out of himself, but I can dig Reality Bites and I can dig this. I didn't find him annoying in the film, in fact I was rooting for him.

The whole film is enveloped in a cloud of awkwardness, especially in the sex scenes which people may not be bale to watch without getting irritated. I know people who can't watch The Office or Arrested Development for the same reasons. It's slow paced and nothing much actually happens, but I can see fans of Wes Anderson really enjoying this.

Fluffiness is created with the supporting characters, great performances from the optimistic Greta Gerwig and the washed-up rockstar Rhys Ifans, who make up Greenberg's friends.

Greenberg is out at cinemas now, though I believe on limited release. Go and watch if you want to be entertained, but don't expect this film to stay with you.