FILM CHALLENGE: 55) Greenberg

55) Greenberg

Director: Noah Baumbach

Year: 2010

Plot Summary: Roger Greenberg is a former LA musician now living in New York and working as a carpenter. Following a breakdown, he has been invited back to LA to housesit the handsome home belonging to his hugely wealthy and successful brother Phillip while he and his family are in Vietnam. There, he falls for his brother's young assistant Florence.

It's uncommon in the comedy genre to find movies with so much meaning and depth, however, Noah Baumbach has a great ability for being able to pull it off. His breakout debut, The Squid And The Whale, is one of the most intelligent yet touching comedies that I have ever seen and his writing for The Fantastic Mr. Fox excelled the movie from being a children's crime caper to being a brilliant examination of mid-life crisis and the American family. Greenberg, however, may be his best work yet.

It's easy to imagine that the usual Ben Stiller crowd who are looking for a simple, mindless laugh-a-minute will find it boring and slow-paced. But the subtle nature of Greenberg is what makes it so brilliant. Every line of dialogue, every tiny emotion from the actors and every little moment, as ordinary as it may seem, provides a fascinating insight into the world of Roger Greenberg.

For example, his refusal to accept that he's a middle aged man now and the possibilities of his teenage years have disappeared are perfectly symbolised by subtle moments like, a) how he plays music from a happier period of his life, b) how he declares that he's just "trying to do nothing" reminiscent of a student, c) the way he is an outsider as his friends all find themselves in marriages and raising kids, and d) how he refuses to commit to a relationship. The only relationship he commits himself to, even if he doesn't see it at first, is the one with the 20 year old Florence. Their relationship is an awkward one though. After all, she is a representation of his former self who is now gone: She is a singer and could easily find herself a record deal with her talent, something Greenberg did at relatively the same age she is, but he let it slip away.

The study and observation of Roger is one that is rich and full of depth, but he's not the only one who comes under this scrutiny from Baumbach. Every one of the main characters in this comedy is well written. Whether it's the aforementioned Florence who has found herself in a quarter life crisis and wants something more than just sex, or whether it's Greenberg's best friend Ivan who has been able to let go his and Roger's shared dream of being in a famous band and is now working as a computer technician, but still feels a sting of sadness when he sees the success other people have had.

For a comedy it's very upsetting and, as a 19 year old teenager, there's a something incredibly moving about knowing that I will very likely grow up to be like Greenberg; someone who is desperately trying to clutch onto my childhood and the refusing to let my dreams let slip away into hopelessness. However, the sadness is also somewhat inspirational for teenagers and young adults as Greenberg leaves you with the determination to go out and follow those ambitions and not let yourself become like the protagonist; someone constantly looking backwards.

Funny, moving and beautifully observed, Greenberg is Noah Baumbach at the top of his game.

4/5

By Daniel Sarath with 3 comments