Ben Stiller hangs up his fluffy bright comedy pants for a dabble in the dark arts of the “serious role” as neurotic, misanthropic Roger Greenberg… and turns in a mighty fine performance in this admirable attempt at a character piece.
On the back of a nervous breakdown, Greenberg returns to his native Los Angeles to housesit for his well-to-do brother’s family. Throw in an awkward relationships new and old – new with his brother’s personal assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig) and old with ex band mate Ivan (Rhys Ifans) – and we’re given a two hour study into a man with many problems and no solution.
Written and directed by The Squid and The Whale’s Noah Bambach this is an assuredly slow paced and character rich piece that could stand to lose 15 minutes to prevent the film dragging slightly. As with all character pieces, without a sharp script and strong central performances it can be a dire affair; fortunately a gleeful tick can be put in both boxes. Stiller, Gerwig and Ifans are uniformly excellent, bringing nuance and depth to their roles, and “hinting at an ocean of sadness just beneath the surface,” to quote High Fidelity. Both strained and restrained, no easy options are either offered or given, and Bambach’s confidence in his subject matter and actors allow the piece to play out at its own lingering pace. Fans of subculture pieces like Ghost World or American Splendor should lap this up.
