MOVIE REVIEW - It's Complicated

There's a lot to live up to with the new Meryl Streep flick, It's Complicated. All this talk about it being the funniest movie of the year and all. Tons of award show nominations too. What about all this?

Streep stars with Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and a real nice supporting cast in this modern day comedy about life in America for many divorced middle aged couples. Meet Jane (Streep) and Jake (Baldwin). they were married for 20 years and now divorced for 10, with 3 grown kids. At their youngest child's graduation party in New York City, Jane and Jake get back together for a drunken romp in a swanky NYC Hotel. Jake has remarried a young bombshell, and Jane has never re-married. So Jane turns out is having an affair with a married man. Her ex-husband! All the while Adam (Martin) who is Jane's architect has his eyes on Jane. AND of course they have to keep this a secret from the kids. How will they pull it off?

First off, this is a really funny idea and it is a really nice grown up comedy. Alec Baldwin is terrific in this movie as the sort of sleazy ex-husband Jake. He so looks the part and is really funny in his likable dirt-bag role. John Krasinsky as Harley too. He is engaged to one of the kids, and he steals the show in the movies second half. Steve Martin is fine, in his very limited role as Adam. If you're going to see Martin do a bunch of slapstick, wrong movie. And Streep is who she is. Always good, always liked, always reviewed well and highly nominated.

Sometimes a tough to review a movie like this. Mainly because many movie goers already love this movie before they see it. On paper it seems like it can't miss. But It's Complicated comes in a bit overrated. Nothing really wrong here, but expectations are high, and so is the hype. The real laughs come from Baldwin and Krasinsky, and other side characters. It's fun, but not the laugh fest that is promised. The story though is smart and does have a heart, and takes a good swing at a touchy subject and addresses it with a light hearted look. And with a sense of reality so we don't get swept away to a fairy tale world. A lot of this works.

There are a few really cheesy scenes here, not the least of which are the three adult kids, two girls and a boy in bed together huddling under the covers for security for moms big "I'm sorry" speech hear the end. An obvious "aww" attempted moment. Most rolled our eyes. And there were other eye rollers too. But in the end, it doesn't kill It's Complicated. It survives itself on a few occasions.

It's Complicated. It's fun no doubt....but a bit overrated.