The mid-life crisis: seemingly, it descends upon us without warning or respite. Or so the cliché goes. Personally, I haven’t quite reached the age where I can speak with any real authority on the infamous “forty-year crisis.” However, in Noah Baumbach’s new dramedy, While We’re Young, Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts portray a New York couple rapidly approaching, or perhaps already immersed in, this very predicament. Despite attempts, they never had children, and life took a different turn. Cornelia claims to be perfectly content with this, though Josh seems to grapple more with the fact, among other struggles in his life.
His career as a documentary filmmaker has never truly taken off, and despite a persistent pursuit of recognition and success, his latest project has languished for eight years without nearing completion. A significant inferiority complex concerning his legendary documentary filmmaker father-in-law has developed over the years, a conflict amplified by Josh’s flagging creativity. The most significant concern on the horizon, however, is the initially liberating and life-affirming younger couple, Jamie and Darby, played by Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried, who enter Josh and Cornelia’s lives.
Josh, in particular, is immediately drawn to Jamie’s disarming personality and free-spirited, creative approach. Jamie aspires to be a documentary filmmaker himself, and Josh sees an opportunity to embrace Jamie’s curiosity and admiration while simultaneously mentoring him in the craft. This association injects both he and Cornelia with new energy into their own stagnant lives. Instead of exclusively socializing with their middle-aged, child-rearing friends, attending children’s music classes and navigating Manhattan streets with strollers, they embark on more stimulating experiences involving drug-induced escapades, questionable hat purchases, and more.
This newfound lifestyle becomes all-consuming, briefly overshadowing their other friends’ baby-centric existences. The film paints an amusing picture where forty-somethings, with or without children, are glued to their iPads, iPhones, and Apple TVs, while the 25-year-olds rediscover vinyl records and VHS tapes. This is appealing and attractive to Josh and Cornelia, allowing them to feel young again, but the situation soon spirals, and the generational clash becomes apparent. Or is it simply a matter of differing personalities being pushed to their limits? How do we change as people as we age, or how does life choose to unfold?
Adam Driver delivers an excellent performance as Jamie, and for the first time, in my opinion, has truly shed his association with his role in the HBO series Girls. Naomi Watts also gives a credible and nuanced performance, but along with Amanda Seyfried, they both take a slight backseat to their respective partners, as the primary focus is on the unusual friendship that develops between Jamie and Josh. My only significant issue with While We’re Young, and it is a rather substantial one, is that Ben Stiller seems miscast as a crisis-ridden, serious middle-aged man. The character of Josh does not align well with Stiller’s comedic persona; he comes across as too comical and awkward for the role. Regrettably, this results in occasionally poor acting on his part, undermining the film’s credibility. Thanks primarily to the performances of Naomi Watts and Adam Driver, the film remains reasonably watchable despite Stiller’s shortcomings. While We’re Young is not a lighthearted, laugh-out-loud comedy but rather a somewhat more serious exploration of people’s lives. It is engaging to watch, and at times, I found myself appreciating the vibrant urban settings while chuckling at the absurdity of human behavior – spoiled and oblivious as young adults, awkward and confused as we age. When do we truly reach the perfect age?
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