Greenberg Reviews

Even though I’m not a huge fan of Noah Baumbach’s work, I still enjoyed his previous movies so I was really eager to check this flick as well. Apparently, Baumbach has become some kind of specialist on neurotic characters and Roger Greenberg was probably his worst creation so far. To start with, I can understand that many people wouldn’t care for this character. Indeed, like most mental patients, he is a terrible egomaniac wrapped up in his messed up world completely incapable of any form of compassion. Actually, Greenberg reminded me of 2 persons. First of all, he reminded me of Daniel Johnston, a (supposedly) talented song-writer who messed up a couple of record deals and ended up a couple of times in a mental institution. The second person I was reminded of was actually myself. Indeed, his obsessive and erratic behavior was highly recognizable and confrontational for me and there were a couple of times I thought I was hearing myself talking… I don’t think I’m so messed up though. I mean, I have a steady job, a wife and kids but I think I do manage to make the people around me often completely crazy. So, I thought that the main character was really interesting and Ben Stiller really impressed me as he easily gave here one of his best performances. Greta Gerwig was also really good, she gave a very subtle performance and I’m really curious to see her again in something else. Eventually, two characters felt flawed, really real, and were much more interesting than the usual stereotypes provided by Hollywood. Still, I can’t say the whole thing was mind-blowing though. Indeed, to be honest, it is not really funny and, basically, you spend almost 2 hours with a really unlikeable guy and it can be tiresome. Anyway, in spite of its flaws, it was pretty good and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Roger Greenberg: Because not everybody is Roger Federer.

"Oh, I'm kinda doing nothing for awhile."

And (I think) it's funny; if you told people that you drink tea and play bridge because you like Jane Austen, they'd fucking tell you to go to hell, but if you tell them that you don't drive because you used to live in New York, they snicker and don't say anything.

"Life is wasted on people."

"There's so much crap out there."

'Why are you yelling at me?'

Because you're making me feel abrasive. Please stop.

But at least I'm not like Colin Firth-- 'Oh yeah, I read all of the novels.' Yeah, after the BBC ordered you to.

But I don't really like Florence either. I feel that she's a little fake.

And, yeah, I know-- letters....

But, I don't know. They're all assholes.

And I don't know, I don't like Florence. She's as innocent as a blank piece of paper, or seems so, I guess. And she thinks that she's practical just because she's boring, and, whatever, etcetera, etcetera. Indecisive, lets everybody just sorta talk at her-- except Roger, including Roger, (flip a coin), whatever, I don't know.

'I just don't know what I'm doing with my life.'

Yeah, well, it's not like I know anything about that.

And I guess that Federer really is the chill one, and not Greenberg, sure.

Eh, oh well, I'm not even doing this very well or anything....

Anyway: these have been my unbiased opinions.

'I heard that you killed our dog.'

"(The time by air to Australia:) That's like seven movies."

"I might have to kill one of you out of sheer frustration."

'What are you fighting against?'

"I don't know; what have you got?"

'I don't know; not much.'

"Then that's what I'm fighting-- 'not much'."

.... So, I don't know. (Just don't give a speech about irony-- yeah, just don't.)

'....to finally embrace the life that you didn't plan....'

"....And that's why I didn't want to be in a band with you-- you never look at your own shit!...."

'And we never talk about anything good.'

Yeah, but maybe you don't have to embrace everything if you think it's bullshit. And anyway, I hate abrasive the most when it goes with abstract and sarcastic, like some college professor. But who can blame you if you get a little irritable about the real world, and especially when everybody else does.... Or at least has a friend to be cynical on their behalf, or something.

So.... I don't know.

But at least his brother is in Vietnam *on vacation*.

"It's kinda trite, but it stayed with me."

This wasn't even going to be long, but, whatever....

"Roger Greenberg, from Hollywood, California."

(9/10)

The main mistake Noah Baumbach made is the key to the storytelling: I guess he decided to talk about emptiness with emptiness. Bad idea. If you talk about a vicious circle you're supposed to be able to break it, letting "light" come in and see things better. That's what analyzing should be. Greenberg stays in the semidarkness without a solution, and every day feels depressed because his life is empty and his life end up getting more and more empty because he's too depressed to do something about it. Baumbach puts some characters to enliven the world Greenberg lives in, but they're not strong enough either to lash him or to highlight differences between him and them. His best friend is useless and the girl he starts “to-date-not-to-date-maybe-he’s-dating-her” is as weak as he is. Though I appreciated some scenes (especially the funny ones) and Ben Stiller acting, in the end it’s a film that leaves nothing, no special feeling.

Noah Baumbach inicialmente apresenta Florença(Greta Gerwig, conhecida de mumblecores), assistente pessoal de uma rica família de Los Angeles, que aos 25 anos se divide entre as funções de governanta, babá, secretária e, com a família tirando férias prolongadas, além do cachorro é encarregada de ficar de olho no recém-chegado irmão do patrão. De Nova York recém-saído de uma clínica após uma crise, Roger Greenberg decide “fazer nada da vida” por um tempo enquanto redigi cartas de reclamação para empresas e tenta se reconectar com antigos amigos e se redescobrir a cidade natal.

São Greta Gerwig(atriz de mumblecores) e Ben Stiller os protagonistas de “Greenberg”(2010), quinto filme do roteirista de The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) e Fantastic Mr.Fox(2009) de Wes Anderson, com quem divide a temática da tentativa de explorar o ethos contemporâneo, consegue sua assinatura num tratamento mais cru e ácido dessa ingrata busca de uma realização pessoal numa geração que não encontra mais satisfação/motivação na construção de uma família ou de um império.

O roteiro foi escrito em parceria com sua mulher Jennifer Jason Leigh, que também atua sob a direção do marido(assim como em Margot at the Wedding(2007)). O casal, que trocou Nova York por Los Angeles, aborda a idissincrasia das cidades que são coadjuvantes em Greenberg, que teve premiere em Berlim esta semana.

A música “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” do LCD Soundsystem inspirou o longa segundo Baumbach durante a coletiva no Festival: “uma canção sobre o envelhecimento, sobre a sensação de que você está perdendo o auge”.