While We’re Young
Noah Boambach’s recent comedic film “While We’re Young” is both a fun and touching look into “mid- life crisis”. The film stars Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia (Naomi Watts) as a childless (not by choice), married couple in their late 40’s. They find themselves surrounded by friends who are having children and feel as if they are missing something in their lives and relationship.
Josh, a documentary filmmaker, finds himself in a rut, working on “finishing” a documentary “in the works” for over 8 years when he meets Jamie, an aspiring documentarian who proclaims to be a huge fan of Josh’s film work. Josh & Cornelia become fast friends with the younger, 20 something couple, Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried). Jamie and Darby are a fresh, bike riding, fedora wearing, ice cream making hipster couple who give Josh and Cornelia a new youthful energy in their lives.
As the two couples continue to bond, unfortunately, it is revealed that things are not exactly what they seem. Cornelia’s father, Leslie Breitbart (Charles Grodin) is Josh’s father in law and one time mentor who happens to also be a legendary filmmaker and is the real “goal” for Jamie’s friendship and filmmaking aspirations. The friendship takes a downward spiral as we find out Jamie has manipulated both his documentary and his friendship with Josh.
“While We’re Young” is a creative and thought provoking approach to coming to grips with aging and how we deal with all the changes, both emotional and physical. I give this 7/10 stars.
