Film Review: “While We’re Young”

Rating:

“While We’re Young” is full of potential and flaws just like the characters themselves. It starts out with Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia (Naomi Watts) having a moment with their friend’s baby. The couple is introduced to us as one that doesn’t want children while everyone around them seems to be having them. There’s discussion of what they could be doing with their “freedom” but are lacking. For instance, they can travel anytime but they don’t. Josh could finish the documentary he’s been working on for almost 8 years but he doesn’t. There’s always a reason not to do something especially when you’re getting older even without kids.

Josh is teaching a class when we’re introduced to a couple in their 20’s, Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried). Josh takes a liking to them and convinces his wife that they should go out with them. At one point the wife tells him that she felt like they were studying him but this comment is ignored due to his overzealousness in hanging out with this young couple. At this point the movie is enjoyable and seems to be delving into a territory that’s not often explored when it comes to getting older. Sometimes you’re that couple that’s too “young” for friends your own age but too “old” for friends younger than you. How do you balance? Well, that’s not the story told here. After a montage comparing the two couples, the story ends up being about betrayal and the fact that no one cares about this betrayal sprinkled with contradictions and pointlessness.

Jamie and Darby are portrayed as different from their older counterparts because they go with the flow, have diverse “friends” and interests and appreciate things like records and VHS tapes. “It’s like their apartment is full of everything we once threw out but it looks so good the way they have it,” observes Cornelia. Meanwhile those diverse “friends” never talk and are interspersed around in each scene. There’s also a scene where Darby takes Cornelia to a Hip-Hop class where they’re the only white women. A 40-something white women dancing in a class full of silent black dancers is “like so hilarious”. Anyway, Jamie shows an intense interest in Josh, which appears to be admiration, asking him for his opinions about his own documentary ideas.

Jamie and Darby are not as cool and free spirited as they appear to be but suffer no consequences when their lies are found out. Jamie does whatever he can to get what he wants including the initial fake “we should hang out” meeting. He knew that Josh’s father-in-law was famous documentarian Leslie Breitbart (Charles Grodin).

Once they find out Jamie’s true self as a deceiver no one cares because they think his “documentary” still has a good story except for Josh. Yes, a made-up documentary is celebrated in this film because it’s still considered a good story. Josh and Cornelia blame it on his youth because when you’re young you can lie and get what you want so why not! If you take the authentic route you’ll end up like Josh and never finish your projects. Morals are so passé and age is just a number when you have an agenda.

The rest of the film is filled with humdrum issues such as Josh feeling like he’s not living up to his father-in-laws standards. It also turns out that they do want children and they end up flying out to Port Au Prince to adopt. I hope they realize they have to talk to the child. Although, Josh and Cornelia’s diverse “friends” were non-existent but that’s another story.

Starring: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Driver

Directed and written by: Noah Baumbach

MPAA rating: R

Running time: 97 min

Rating: 2/5