WHILE WE'RE YOUNG: FALSE PRAISE

I have a distinct dislike for pretentious art films that come down the line. This is not to say that there aren’t what are considered art films that aren’t worthy and great movies. But among the many films released that fall into this category are movies created by directors or writers that critics fawn over who follow up with films that are so aimed at that market that creative life is drained from the movie being made. In an attempt to follow up to the movie that critics loved they make something aimed at more acceptance from that crowd than from the rest of the world.

Director Noah Baumbach was praised non-stop for his film THE SQUID AND THE WHALE back in 2005. In 2012 he had another critical smash with the film FRANCES HA. Neither did great at the box office but critics heaped praise upon his work as the next best thing since sliced bread. Now he brings to us WHILE WE’RE YOUNG starring Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts.

The film revolves around this couple, getting older and faced with friends who are caught up in the world of their children instead of the free spirited lifestyle they once had. Josh (Stiller) is a documentary film maker who has been working on the follow up to his first successful venture for the past 10 years. Cornelia (Watts) is his wife, the daughter of his mentor and one of the most praised documentary film makers to ever live, Leslie Breitbart (Charles Grodin). The pair is having problems dealing with the fact that they’ve reached middle age and their lives are not taking the same direction as their friends.

Then Josh meets Jamie (Adam Driver) and his girlfriend Darby (Amanda Seyfried) when they sit in on one of the classes he teaches on documentary film making. Telling Josh how much he’s always admired him and looked up to his first major success, Jamie works his way into the world of this couple taking Darby along with him. As things progress both Josh and Cornelia find themselves enchanted by this young couple and begin spending more time with them than they do the friends their own age.

This lends itself to the small amount of humor found in the film (and in most of the trailers for it). Included are scenes of Josh trying to ride a bike with Jamie only to pull a muscle in his back and Cornelia taking an exercise class with Darby that has he dancing to foul language filled hip hop music where the class is filled with young people doing dance moves they know and she attempts to follow. Funny enough but not a knee slapper.

As the movie progresses Jamie tells Josh about a movie that he’s trying to make as well, using a slender proposition on which he hopes to discover a greater movie. Josh agrees to help taking no credit and soon the ball gets rolling. A movie about seeking out long lost friends from his past via Facebook leads Jamie to rediscover a friend who was traumatized during the war in Afghanistan. Moments that Josh helps film hold high drama in real life situations. Or do they?

I for one figured out what was going on here while the movie unfolded but as it plays out the truth of the matter isn’t revealed until late in the film. I won’t say what that is as to avoid spoiling it for anyone interested in watching but the revelation comes extremely late and ends with a confrontational scene that unfolds in the last 10-15 minutes of the film. It gives the movie a sort of let’s get this rounded up atmosphere that feels forced rather than a natural progression of events. It also paints a picture of this middle aged couple as complete idiots who have no idea of what goes on around them.

That being the case it made it difficult for me to feel for anyone in the movie. For Josh and Cornelia I felt like they were idiots who deserved what they got for behaving the way they did. For Jamie and Darby it made me feel like they were pathetic users only interested in themselves. The one person I felt for was myself for having sat through all 97 minutes of this movie only to have that abrupt ending tossed at me.

I will say that the performances of both Stiller and Watts were up to par with the best of their work. I’ve come to respect Stiller over the years, watching him progress from the mildly comedic outings he began with into a dynamite actor. Watts felt like she had less of a part than his which I felt should have been equal but that’s just my opinion. Driver is an up and coming star in the world today but I feel like he has yet to show me something that deserves that attention. I guess we’ll see when the new STAR WARS movie comes out he has a major role in. And Seyfried feels completely wasted here, more a set decoration than someone with a major role.

As I said, art films offer some of the most fantastic stories to come out these days, bypassing formulaic films and creating something fantastic at times. But when done like this they don’t raise the bar but lower it. I won’t say that I hate this movie, that is far too strong a term. I will say that I found it amusing at times but ended up feeling as if I was betrayed as a movie goer by the end. I’m sure some will enjoy it, some will praise it simply because of the director involved and others like me will be disappointed. In the end it’s a matter of personal opinion. 

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