Now on DVD: It's Complicated

I LOVE Meryl Streep. No really, I love her almost as much as I love Jon Krasinski. So when I heard that a movie was coming out with both of them along with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, I just about bought a countdown calendar. Though I missed it in the theaters, I ordered it straight onto my computer the first day it was put on DVD. I had high hopes, some of which led to letdowns, but overall I thought the movie was unbelievably cute.

Meryl Streep plays a divorcee, Jane, who is a happily single woman who owns her own successful bakery. Though she is a mother to three children, her brood has almost entirely left the nest. While at her youngest son's graduation from college, she bumps into her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin). The two have been divorced for 10 years but the chemistry between the two of them is still there. That night, the two unexpectedly have dinner together where Baldwin opens up that his new marriage is failing. Jane and Baldwin begin to have an affair which Jane believes is casual while Baldwin thinks it could be the cure to their failed marriage together. Enter into the mix, Steve Martin who plays Jane's architect who is helping her plan a renovation to her house. Martin is also divorced and he and Jane start a relationship. Of course, is is not your usual romantic rhombus because Jane and Baldwin have children. Jane is left to decide between taking a second stab at an already once-failed marriage or stepping outside her comfort zone and dating a new man.

There are as many laughs in this film as there are tender moments. Though critics differed between praise and annoyance, no one can deny the charm and charisma that these actors (and their characters) have. Perhaps the most enchanting aspect of this film, is that it is real! Families nowadays, are no longer a mom, dad, sister, brother, and dog. It's Complicated not only acknowledges these changes, but is able to make us laugh about them. Of course, it is not a deep movie with a strong message but it's not supposed to be. It's fun, light, and brings humor to today's "complicated" families and relationships.

-DLP