powermandan 'Greenberg' is a Noah Baumbach creation featuring Ben Stiller and Greta Gerwig. Like Baumbach's other films, characters constantly butt heads seemingly out of the blue. Unlike Baumbach's other films, 'Greenberg' features too many parameters needed for any viewer to get full satisfaction. With a 6.1 rating on this site and many people calling it boring and repugnant, it is very easy to see why and how little liked this is. There was a time when I didn't like this either. But there is a good movie buried underneath these depths. I recommend watching this a few times to ingest all that is presented. Whenever I would revisited this, I would always learn something new about Baumbach's choices in filming and characterization. When a movie gets better after each viewing as 'Greenberg' has, the more it becomes apparent just how good it truly is. The first person we meet is Florence Marr, played beautifully at ease by Greta Gerwig. She is the baby-sitter for the wealthy Greenberg family in suburban Los Angeles. Florence is likeable. She has flaws just like anybody else, so nothing to complain about. At first, it seems like Florence will be the protagonist. Within the first few minutes, Florence comes across as a kind and heartfelt person that would make a nice lead. The Greenbergs love her just as the audience is starting to. The Greenbergs will spend six weeks in Vietnam for a business trip, and Mr. Greenberg explains that his brother from New York named Roger will housesit and build a doghouse in their absence.Ben Stiller gave his best performance in his career (until being eclipsed recently by his role in 'Brad's Status') as Roger Greenberg. Now unlike Florence, Roger is not likeable at all. But it is him that's the protagonist. With an unlikeable protagonist, there's no wonder why any movie in a similar situation would attract a large audience. But watching 'Greenberg' we see some sympathetic individual buried in mean exterior. Throughout most of the movie we think to ourselves: "Come on Roger, snap out of it!" Roger is not a character that can be given up on that easily. He had a mental breakdown and recently got released from a mental hospital. As we get to know Roger and the situations surrounding him, his outbursts can be forgiven since he is still having a hard time filtering what's nice and acceptable behaviour.Roger is from L.A. but resides in New York. He was a skilled musician that passed a lucrative record deal that caused his band to split up. Living life as a carpenter in an expensive city with unbearable pressures from the world around him, he just snapped. Returning to L.A., Roger must deal with past demons and face harsh realities in order to move forward in life. He is a fish out of water, and the interactions he has with old friends and acquaintances is all awkward. But the key to Roger's happiness is Florence. Roger is not good with animals (but he does like the dog), so he relies on her for any other the Greenberg's pet dog emergencies. The relationship between them is constantly blossoming and floundering, thanks to Roger's fears of commitment. The relationship between the two is similar to a vintage Woody Allen scenario and nearly as smart. While we get to know both individuals and their chemistry, the more we can somehow relate to their setbacks. The reliability is what makes the characters shine in every Baumbach movie. But Roger is a little different. He is a little to specific for just anybody to get. But if you do, the movie becomes all the more intimate.As a director Noah Baumbach is massively underrated. In terms of general directing, 'Greenberg' is probably his finest. After each watch, his stylistic choices and how they coincide with the characters get extra clear, causing the movie-going experience to illuminate. Not very many directors nail the technological filming/character relationship, but Baumbach is one of the select few. The one bad thing about Noah Baumbach is his endings. He loves open-ended finales in his movies. There is so much awkwardness lingering throughout the movie that can be a bit of a turnoff, but it is not as bad as the ending. It was not a smart move this time around. A movie of this much complexity does not need such a vague ending. If anything, the ending in this is a major drawback and the biggest flaw. 'Greenberg' may appear to be about an immature middle aged man who needs get his head out of his ass, but the core of it is about two people with relatable issues that handle the pressures of life in different ways. Each rich detail will have a profound affect on the viewer. What adult isn't feeling overly-swamped with pressures of nearly everything?

Xianghong If you're sick of the standard Hollywood blockbusters, Greenberg offers a movie experience totally different from anything else we've seen this year. The plot is simple enough: Ben Stiller plays the titular character, Roger Greenberg, who is a middle-aged man recovering from a recent nervous breakdown by staying in his brother's place while he and his family are out vacationing. Greenberg tries to do nothing initially but decides to date his brother's personal assistant, Florence (indie actor Greta Gerwig), an awkward fresh graduate at a loss for direction in life, after he is forced to ask her for help in taking care of the family dog. The two lost souls struggle to rediscover themselves through reaching out to each other. Sounds familiar, right?Well, there's a twist. Classifying this movie as a romantic comedy would be disingenuous; akin to calling Night at The Museum a historical documentary - the romance was non-existent and the comedy depressing. As the film progressed, we started squirming in our seats and cringing at Ben Stiller's misanthropic endeavours to offend as many people who care about him as possible. This includes his (possibly only) friend, Ivan (played with nuance by Rhys Ifans) and Florence. Especially Florence. Indeed, calling Stiller the protagonist would be wrong - he should more appropriately be labelled the antagonist for the way he abuses poor Florence with remarkable predictability. In fact, the romance between Greenberg and Florence felt so unlikely and unfulfilling that it constantly felt forced even as the characters have awkward sex on screen.We understand the intention of director and script writer Noah Baumbach to portray an intense realism that strips away all pretenses in film, offering an up close and personal examination of the human psyche and its various neuroses, but the movie quickly become stale once that is established. The director could have been forgiven if the movie had been marketed as new-age and brimming with cynicism and raw, negative emotions, which is what it really is. The only saving grace is fresh-faced Greta Gerwig as the hugely likable Florence, her innocent free spirit a dark contrast to Greenberg's obnoxious and inexplicable tantrums.We found it hard at times to believe that this is the same Ben Stiller that starred in the hilarious outrageous Tropic Thunder and various other campy comedies over the past few years. That isn't to say that Stiller's performance was bad; in fact, he was so adept at playing the narcissistic neurotic that it's scary. It is to the credit of the three leads that the movie does not descend into full- fledged self-indulgence, but even their earnest acting cannot salvage the terrible directing. The humour was very dark and the pacing was bad, with no climax and an abrupt ending that saw the audience breathe a collective sigh of relief for finally being let off the hook - those that were not asleep, that is.

cnycitylady 'Greenberg' is a little out of whack when it comes to characters, plot and even setting. The main character lacks any real empathy, so you find yourself feeling, at best, confused. Almost no sorrow, pity or understanding about this man fills you. He's out of it in a way that is very unique, and everyone seems to see only that about him, and then enters Florence, played by the wonderfully subtle Greta Gerwig. Florence sees the man for who he is. Not what he's done, not where he's been, not how he thinks. But she sees Him; the man struggling with himself. They form an instant bond that Greenberg (Ben Stiller) desperately tries to ignore. The kindred spirit story that unravels is quiet. It isn't direct and boisterous but it still finds its way to you. All of the noise that consists of Greenbergs relationships with his friends and family, and even with himself is secondary to that of his with Florence, and she sees that. And we see that. Even if it takes Stiller's character a little longer than the rest to see it, he gets there eventually.You'd think that the Gerwig/Stiller pairing was a mismatch, but the two seem to make it work. They even seem to thrive off of each other's individual quirkiness to tell the story in a very true way.For all of its wanting in character or plot there is a solid story being told here, and I give it 6.4/10 stars.

Jesse Boland Ben Stiller is always a safe bet, and this movie is no exception to that rule, it's just a bit dull, sad, and broken. Filled to the brim with great talent, and written very well, there is just no real moment of victory, just a lot of defeat. I re-watched it today in order to give a fresh review, but now I remember I was not able to finish it last time, it was just that drab, and uninspiring. Really if there is anything to take from this movie, as in life is that you always need a real skill to fall back on like Solomon's violin playing. The sad factor is the point of this movie, I get it, and Ironicly I was actually going through a similar experience when this movie first came out, it is just that Stiller plays it too well I think. Juno Temple as an Australian is kind of silly, but he needed that torture to set him on the right path. You can't say I didn't get the story, it just wasn't something that I Enjoyed watching. I can only recommend the acting, and writing of this film, of course it is filmed quite well, all of the angels are caught, I just can't recommend the actual story. unless you are looking to be brought down, then have at it.