“Greenberg”‘s title character, played by Ben Stiller, should be familiar to you. You’ve seen him represented by Woody Allen in countless films, or by Larry David on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” He’s the smart-ass misanthrope, the loner who views the follies of the world with cynical, mocking contempt and doesn’t understand when the world responds in kind.
The difference between Roger Greenberg and the other previously-mentioned examples of this archetype is that while they all believe themselves to be smarter than everyone else, in “Greenberg” the audience isn’t prodded to agree. When Larry David questions why he isn’t allowed to use the phone in a doctor’s office, we cheer him on; when Roger writes an angry letter to an animal taxi company, we wonder if he isn’t being a little too harsh. When a Woody Allen character romances a younger woman, it’s cute (or at least it’s supposed to be); when the 40-year-old Roger gets involved with 25-year-old Florence (Greta Gerwig), we have to doubt that the relationship will be healthy for either of them.
Florence works as a personal assistant for Roger’s brother, Phillip (Chris Messina), a successful businessman living in Los Angeles. At the beginning of the film, Phillip and his family leave for a six-week trip to Vietnam and Roger flies in from New York to act as housesitter. Roger used to be a musician, is now a carpenter, and, after a vaguely defined stint in a mental institution, wants to spend his time in California “doing nothing for a while.” His meager responsibilities (maintaining the pool, taking care of family dog Mahler) leave him plenty of time to pursue that goal. He watches the neighbors suspiciously. He composes sardonic complaints addressed to corporations. He engages Florence in a mutually ambivalent courtship. He also tries to reconnect with friends from his past, including former bandmate Ivan (Rhys Ifans) and old flame Beth (Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is also credited as co-writing the story).
The plot is just as meandering as that synopsis makes it sound. Writer-director Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale,” the “Kicking and Screaming” that isn’t a Will Ferrell soccer movie) has never been all that interested in tightly constructed storylines; he focuses more on the intricate details of his characters’ personalities and relationships, and on those terms “Greenberg” is remarkably perceptive. It’s also very funny, although the humor is so low-key and character-driven that the audience I saw it with seemed unsure of when they were supposed to laugh. “Tropic Thunder” this ain’t, in case you hadn’t already figured that out.
Stiller deserves the praise he’s been getting for this performance, which is energetic while still being appropriately understated and natural. He makes an unbelievable jerk completely believable. The supporting cast deserves credit as well, especially Gerwig, whose character plays such a prominent role that she could arguably be identified as the film’s actual protagonist. We spend a few scenes with Florence before Roger even shows up, and we get to know her as a shy, indecisive young woman who’s still trying to find a place in the real world. We share her conflicted feelings towards Roger; sometimes he seems unforgivably mean, and yet sometimes we can’t help but sympathize with his clumsy attempts to connect with others. Most movies try to get the audience to assume the hero’s point of view. “Greenberg” views its hero (so to speak) through the eyes of others, and ends up crafting a deeper and more insightful portrait as a result.
