Greenberg

Greenberg is played by Ben Stiller. He's a hapless and totally uninterested person who, at times, is a character who you don't root for. There's also a love interest played by Greta Gerwig in a pretty outstanding performance (although it would be negligent of me to not mention that Stiller does a good job at convincing us who he is). Greenberg is housesitting for his brother in L.A., but in his heart he's a New Yorker and he bitches and moans constantly to whoever will listen about L.A. coffeshops, people, etc, etc. Nothing much else happens in Greenberg. It's one of those films where we know the character is having a Monday and something very subtle happens to them so that we know they're Tuesday will be a little different. But Greenberg is such a hapless story and Greta Gerwig plays her part so well that it creates an interesting context for Greenberg's life. We get so much contrast between these people who are both experiencing the same hell and acting in different ways, that Greenberg becomes a pretty damn good film. It's director, Noah Baumbach (who made the great Squid and the Whale) finds a a perfect balance in Greenberg. It's an achievement, and perhaps means that he's preparing for something as great as The Squid and the Whale.
Greenberg: ★★★