Greenberg

A typically low-key effort from Noah Baumbach, Greenberg stars Ben Stiller as Roger Greenberg – a 40-year-old failed musician who agrees to housesit for his brother immediately following a stint in rehab. After connecting with a few old friends (including Rhys Ifans’ Ivan Schrank), Greenberg finds himself falling into an on-again-off-again relationship with his sibling’s flighty personal assistant (Greta Gerwig’s Florence). It’s clear right from the get-go that Baumbach is looking to ape the feel of a ’70s character study, as Greenberg has been infused with a palpably plotless atmosphere that’s heightened by the almost exclusive emphasis on the protagonist’s meandering exploits (and also by, of course, the film’s unapologetically deliberate pace). And while the whole thing never quite becomes as fascinating or as relevant as Baumbach has clearly intended, Greenberg nevertheless manages to sustain the viewer’s interest for the duration of its running time – with Stiller’s impressively consistent performance undoubtedly playing a key role in the film’s mild success. The actor seamlessly slips into the skin of a figure that is oftentimes almost exaggeratedly misanthropic, and it’s subsequently (and ultimately) clear that Stiller’s mesmerizing turn elevates the proceedings on an all-too-regular basis. The end result is a perfectly watchable piece of work that is, admittedly, a big improvement over Baumbach’s previous movie, 2007’s Margot at the Wedding, yet it’s impossible not to wish that the filmmaker would try his hand at something other than a low-key character study.

**1/2 out of ****