Greenberg

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Actors: Ben Stiller , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Rhys Ifans , Juno Temple , Chris Messina , Brie Larson , Greta Gerwig , Mark Duplass , Dave Franco , Merritt Wever , Max Hoffman , Nick Nordella , Karen Strong , Celeste Pechous , Chris Coy , Samuel Thacker , Koby Rouviere , Trent Gill , Sydney Rouviere , Trace Webb , Zoe Di Stefano , Phoebe James , Jessica Mills

Director: Noah Baumbach

IMDB Rate: 7.2 out of 10 (38 votes)

Plot Summary:Greenberg aims to recapture the raw flavor and psychological acuity of 1970s character portraits like Five Easy Pieces--but the character in question is completely of the moment. Neurotic and anxious Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) comes to L.A. to stay in his brothers house, where he reconnects with old bandmates and falls, with painful awkwardness, into a relationship with his brothers personal assistant, Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig, sweetheart of the mumblecore movement). But this movie is not about plot--its about human frailty and finding a moral or spiritual significance in caring for a dog or driving someone on an errand. Stiller sheds his usual bag of twitchy tricks and conveys the brittle spirit of a man defeated by his own intelligence. Gerwig has an odd, hapless charm she makes aimlessness appealing. As a romance, the movie falters--while its obvious why Roger would be attracted to Florences youth and vulnerability, its less clear why Florence wouldnt be repelled by Rogers sometimes-cruel instability. But writer-director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) has gotten even better at capturing the history of two people with brief, incisive strokes Rogers prickly history with his friends becomes vividly clear in a few conversations. As a core sampling of the contemporary psyche, Greenberg is rewarding. Also featuring excellent performances by Jennifer Jason Leigh (eXistenZ) and Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill).