'While We're Young'

In cinemas March 27th in the USA and April 3rd in the UK!

Have you ever felt like you’re in limbo? Too young to settle down and have children but too old to keep up with the young and beautiful? This is a frequent problem of modern 30/40-somethings and a big theme of Noah Baumbach’s comedy, ‘While We’re Young’.

Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts play Josh and Cornelia, a middle-aged couple who meet and befriend young couple Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried). As many of their older friends are having babies and settling into a more responsible life, Josh and Cornelia begin to feel out of place and become increasingly close to Jamie and Darby who they see as innocent, fun-loving and free. However, the more they become involved in the life and work of the young couple, the more they start to realise that maybe they are not as innocent and free as they seem. This may all have been learned too late as their careers and relationship have been turned upside down.

Yes, this is a Ben Stiller film but refreshingly, it is not all about Ben Stiller. Thanks to strong performances from all the lead actors, this is very much an ensemble piece. Adam Driver is especially good as a young aspiring filmmaker who seems at first like an innocent puppy dog, heart-warming in his excitement to meet one of his heroes, but as the film goes on, you begin to see his inner narcissist start to creep out. His portrayal is subtle yet sharp and you’re never quite sure whether you like the guy or not.

The script is very cleverly written. A mixture of wry satire with lines that are truly hilarious despite their serious subject matter, and just flat out silliness (a particularly funny scene involving some questionable drugs and emotional bonding will have you rolling with laughter and cringing all at the same time), this really does have something for every sense of humour.

My one gripe would be that I almost feel it goes on a little too long. The story could have been satisfyingly resolved before the final scene. Although this scene has a few funny and touching moments, it starts to slip dangerously close to cliché. By the end, I started to lose interest and it fell a little flat for me. Personally, I would have enjoyed it more if it had left us on the high of one of the previous scenes, not necessarily even resolving all of the characters’ issues.

Ultimately, this is a fun film. Easy to watch, laugh out loud funny at points and a subject matter that rings true to so many of us nowadays. Do I belong? Am I where I’m supposed to be in my life? Unlike some of Baumbach’s earlier work, I believe that this will appeal to a mass audience. Dare I say it? He may be slipping into the mainstream!

Review by Melanie Crossey.
See this review on The Fan Carpet.