Movie Review: "It's Complicated"

It's Complicated, stars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin.

Meryl Streep is divorced, with 3 grown children, the youngest just graduating from college. She has her own catering business, which seems to be doing well.

At a chance meeting at a party, she gets involved again with her ex-husband, Alec Baldwin. He's remarried, with a much younger wife and stepson, and this wife wants to have another child. He says to Streep that he's not happy in his second marriage. This results in unexpected sex and Streep enjoys it very much.

At the same time, Streep has become attracted to Steve Martin, her architect, who is helping her design an addition to her post-divorce home.

The movie explores some serious themes:

• If Streep is still attracted to Baldwin, but she had divorced him because of his cheating, are there enough values there to warrant a reconciliation?
  

• If he cheated on her originally and now he cheats on his second wife, will he one day cheat on her again?
  

• If they had grown apart before the divorce, was this the real cause of the separation, not his cheating?
  

• Although, in a way, Streep enjoys being the other woman, is this the basis for a serious relationship?
  

• Is Streep's potential new relationship with Martin worth casting aside for an ex-husband?

The script is well-written, including several portions of low-key comedy. Once, when Streep goes from her kitchen to confront Baldwin, her daughter's fiance removes a carving knife still in her hand.

Baldwin's amorous attempts seem to have ended Streep's possible relationship with Martin, who says she needs a new architect to complete the project.

These are the conflicts faced by Streep’s character. The plot of It’s Complicated ends on a hopeful, heartwarming basis.

Norman E. Hill, FSA, MAAA, Member AICPA, ASCPA
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