BEFORE: Last night's film showed a complicated family situation (3 "Dads" + 1 Mom!) so here's another one. And I'm kicking off Meryl Streep week - I know she's been in a bunch of films (11?) in the countdown already (including "Deer Hunter", "Falling in Love", "Doubt", "Kramer vs. Kramer" and most recently "Silkwood"), but here's my chance to play clean-up and watch another 6 Streep films. Linking from last night's film, Nancy Travis was in "Married to the Mob" with Alec Baldwin (last seen in "The Aviator").
I realize I'm missing out on Nicole Kidman's birthday - the film "The Hours" could have led nicely into Streep Week, but that film is not on my list. Because I'm a dude.
THE PLOT: When attending their son's college graduation, a couple reignite the spark in their relationship...but the complicated fact is they're divorced and he's remarried.
AFTER: Complicated is an understatement - this seems like it was written as a challenge, to feature a love triangle that would keep the audience guessing, right up until the end, about which man Streep's character would ultimately choose - her married ex-husband (Baldwin) or the divorced architect she's recently met (Steve Martin, last seen in "Baby Mama").
The problem is confounding - because she has so much history with her ex-husband, they can cut through most of the chatter and just enjoy the illicit sex (friends with social security benefits?) - whereas in the other relationship, since it's just starting it's nearly all pre-sex banter and flirting. So she's getting the best of both worlds, but putting herself in a precarious spot.
That's right, I said "putting herself" in the spot - because she is culpable in the situation, even though the movie tries to re-arrange the universe to make nothing her fault. Sleeping with her ex-husband is described as mere closure - an attempt to figure out if there's still something of merit there. But here's a test - reverse the genders and see if the situation still rings the same. If a man slept with his ex-wife, just to gain closure or to see if a spark was still there, would his current wife or girlfriend excuse that? Somehow I doubt it.
The relationship is clearly damaging to her (adult) children as well - though the relationship is secret for the first 3/4 of the movie, eventually the truth is revealed, and their children are hurt. It took them years to deal with the divorce, and the rekindling of the relationship brings up all of the old pain again. So, really, how selfish is it of Streep's character to think only of herself, without considering the damage done to others (including her ex's wife).
I understand the mental trap that many people fall into - by nature sex is a little fun and a lot naughty (if you're doing it right, that is) but once two people get married, and the sex is legit, it loses some of its naughty nature, and therefore by extension, some of the fun. Which is one reason people have affairs - they're improper, forbidden, and naughty, meaning the fun is back!
But there's an accountability issue, one that isn't really addressed here. For every person enjoying (or re-enjoying) sex, the universe dictates that someone else, somewhere else, isn't happy. You can quote karmic retribution or try and justify the affair somehow - the woman who was cheated on is now the "other woman" - but it didn't wash for me. You can't have it both ways, even a strong character who's finding herself needs to be aware of the consequences her actions have on others.
It's worth noting that had this movie been made 10 or 15 years ago, the male leads might have been reversed - with Steve Martin playing the loopy, free-spirited ex-husband and Alec Baldwin playing the more straight-laced shyish architect. But this way works fine too.
However, there are a few too many coincidences - people who happen to be at the same party, staying in the same hotel, bumping into each other. One could argue that two divorced people might have the same friends, or prefer the same hotel, but still... I've bumped into my ex-wife on the streets of NY exactly twice in 15 years - not at a party of mutual friends or at the dentist's office.
And everyone says the word "actually" too much in this film. Ex. "I'm actually busy that night." or "I actually own a cafe." Here's a tip for budding screenwriters - if you can take the word "actually" out of the sentence, and it then means the same thing, you don't need it! Same goes for: literally, basically, technically and essentially. Most of the time they bring no additional meaning to the table.
Also starring John Krasinski (last seen in "Kinsey"), Lake Bell, with cameos from Rita Wilson (last seen in "That Thing You Do!", Mary Kay Place (last seen in "Modern Problems"), Nora Dunn (last seen in "The Last Supper"), Bruce Altman.
RATING: 5 out of 10 chocolate croissants (love those!)
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