It's Complicated (2009)

Uh, no...it's really not all that complicated.

Jane (Meryl Streep) is dissatisfied and wants more even though she runs a successful business in a field she clearly enjoys, has a trio of children who adore her, and owns a lovely home. This dissatisfaction is depicted in the nutshell of her 10-year yearning for a "dream kitchen" even though her current kitchen is gorgeous and probably more amazing than 99% of America's kitchens. So, because she's got this vague empty-nest dissatisfaction, she kind of falls into a hotel hook-up with her now-married-to-the-younger-woman-with-whom-he-cheated-on-Jane ex-husband Jake (Alec Baldwin) while also entertaining the welcome attentions of her kitchen contractor/architect (Steve Martin).

The fantastic cast is having a whale of a time on screen, as was everyone in the theater, us included. (Quick aside: the theater was PACKED with old people. I mean golf-cap wearing men and polyester-slacksed women -- I felt positively pubescent.) But, even though the movie was enjoyable, it was more on the level of a well-done sitcom than a movie. It lacked the heft to resonate in any lasting way.

One huge oversight was that we didn't find out until the film was nearly over just how traumatic Jane and Jake's break-up had been. The children told us in a "remember when Dad wasn't even allowed inside?" conversation but, to that point, we didn't even have a hint that the couple had ever behaved as anything other than respectful adults. A quick montage of a raging plate-throwing brawl complete with blanket-swaddled crying jag and broken-hearted children -- as much as I loathe stuff like that -- would've helped us understand the situation so much better. As it was, their post-divorce affair didn't seem all that earth-shattering. From the first scene, it seemed as though they liked each other so why WOULDN'T they get together?

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