Relationships are complicated, especially so when there has been love, hate and everything in between.
This movie took me through a merry ride of questioning, as it lead me through the complexity of the relationship between Jake (Alec Balwin) and Jane (Meryl Streep) after ten years of divorce. There were times when I rooted for the couple and hoped that they would get back together again. Other times Jake would say or do something incredibly egotistical or self-centered and immediately I flipped to the other side of the coin.
Enter Steve Martin, as Adam and the complications increased. Now I found myself arguing about whether Jane should chose this sweet man, still hurting from his divorce, two years earlier or whether he was so delicate that she would end up mothering him for the rest of their mythical lives.
I laughed out loud. That’s unusual, movies don’t often get that type of reaction from me when I’m watching them alone, but I laughed lots. The director and writer, Nancy Meyers managed to engage the viewer in some pretty heavy topics and emotions and do it all while keeping up the laughs.
The one area that I was most surprised by, were the reactions of the children to the possible reunion of their parents. Generally Hollywood movies have presented children of divorced couples as eternally desiring that their parents be a storybook, happily ever after couple. Meyers, complicated the entire story in a far more realistic way. The children had long since reconciled themselves to the parents divorce and as much as they enjoyed the friendly camaraderie of their parents, they certainly did not want to see the couple get back together again.
Regardless of the twists and turns of the story and the laughs, Tokii couples still clearly believe in the sanctity of marriage with 82% of men and 77% of women reinforcing that affairs are never okay, regardless of the circumstances.
The reviews have been mixed, but I laughed and laughter is good for our health. Sure I would have been better off doing something more productive for my health, but on the other hand, there were lots of other movies I could have watched and not laughed. This one was okay.
Head to Tokii.com and play the It’s Complicated DiscoveryGame today.
*Statistics taken from actual Tokii community on February 3, 2012
I love Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin! Sounds like a good one. I am glad to hear of the realistic twists and turns. I can’t wait to catch this film on Netflicks, when I get a chance.