Greenberg

I'm not really sure why I finished this film. I'm not really sure why I started this film. Alright, that is a bit of a lie. I started the film because I have enjoyed the past two films by Noah Baumbach. The Squid & the Whale is a lovely film about the awkward bonds of family. And, Margot at the Wedding is film as short story at its most detailed. These two films are the reason why I started to watch Greenberg.

Shortly after the film started I was reminded how much I hate Ben Stiller (other than his near perfect role in Flirting with Disaster). But, worse than Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig. Ever since I attempted to watch her performance in the dreadful Hannah Takes the Stairs I have hated Gerwig's characters. Baghead can be added to the list of her films I can't stand, too. She does have a small role in The House of the Devil which I love. But, if it helps my case, she was murdered pretty quickly into the film. And, she doesn't put on the annoying persona she uses in the other roles.

Half way through the film I was pretty bored. On some level, I relate to the Ben Stiller character. He's cranky, unstable, panic stricken, opinionated, and socially awkward. Greenberg and I could be mirror images (except his image is a little too over the top and dramatic). Shortly after you realize the character of Greenberg, there isn't much left to the film. We watch Greenberg interact awkwardly with some people from his past. We watch Greenberg attempt to date. We watch Greenberg admit his life is more fucked up than he wishes.

Greenberg is about the past. About the regrets we carry around and how those regrets can build up until we're no longer recognizable. The film is about the patters we fall into that are harmful. But, I've seen this a million times. I could have done without.

C-