Movie Critique: "It's Complicated"

The Comedy and Reality of “It’s Complicated”
Hot flashes, mood swings, and irritability are not the problems middle-aged Jane Adler (Meryl Streep) is dealing with in, “It’s Complicated,” and thank god for that. This film instead delves into the complex relationship between divorced couples who may or may not still have a thing for each other. What ensues is a hilarious and simultaneously relatable film that most modern day Americans will identify with and take pleasure from.
Directed by Nancy Myers, also responsible for “What Women Want” and "Something’s Gotta Give,” “It’s Complicated,” is her newest romantic comedy that gives insight into the lives of individuals who are no longer in their twenties. Jane and Jake Adler (Alec Baldwin) are a divorced couple who after a coincidental meeting, dinner, flirtatious dancing, and one too many cocktails end up in Jake’s suite where they do the unthinkable.
The affair continues when they get back to their homes in California. It is tested when Jake unavoidably ditches Jane and their plan for a romantic evening. A jealous Jane gets revenge by bringing her architect turned love interest Adam Schaffer (Steve Martin) to their son’s graduation party. Streep finds herself caught between the resurfacing of feelings for the old man in her life, and the sweet, charming new man that is clearly very fond of her.
What makes this film worthwhile is the fact that the situations are not outlandish whatsoever, in fact, they are quite plausible. An affair with your ex is a modern day possibility that is demonstrated through the characters of Jane and Jake. After Jane and Jake reconnect in New York City we see a flustered and mortified Jane. This situation would be awkward for any middle-aged divorcee that has just let her ex-husband see her in a way that he hasn’t seen her for years.
Rather than making the scene an extremely awkward one, Meyers puts a humorous twist on it as Jake tells Jane, “and I like that you stopped getting bikini waxes. You've gone native. I was into it!” Jane’s only response is to get physically ill. It is not funny just because of the dialogue or the outlandish situation; the actors fit the roles they were casted in to a tee.
And Meyers couldn’t have chosen a better actor than Streep to play the role of Jane. After the affair has begun, Jane gets together with her girlfriends to tell them that, “turns out I’m a bit of a slut!” Her girlfriends are confused only until Streep reveals that she has now become the other woman: “I’m having an affair with Agnes Adler’s husband!” The role of Streep is central to the film’s success. She has an uncanny ability to enchant an audience and make them feel like they are going through the same things she is.
For any individual who has gone through a divorce it is natural to think about what it would be like to give it another chance with their ex. Even if you don’t have firsthand experience of divorce, one still can relate to the idea of giving it a second chance with your old flame. This film does just that: it shows you what would happen if one did decide to re-open that chapter in their life. Myers, using comedy as a spring board for this often times serious and stressful topic, artfully created a sophisticated and amusing film that pulls you in from the beginning and keeps you guessing until the end.