WHILE WE’RE YOUNG
DIRECTOR: Noah Baumbach
CAST: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried
RUNNING TIME: 97 Minutes
CLASSIFICATION: 13 L
RATING: ****
Documentary film-maker, Josh (Stiller) and producer, Cornelia (Watts), can’t remember what this little piggy does. But they’re quick to Google something instead of trying to remember it. In essence, this middle-aged husband and wife pride themselves on being able to have a presence in an old and new world.
But those worlds collide and combust when they meet newlyweds, Jamie (Driver) and Darby (Seyfried).
A budding documentary film-maker, Jamie takes a rather obsessive liking to Josh, which, of course, makes Josh feel a lot younger than his friends who have babies and stay in on mid-week nights. Obviously, Jamie and Darby aren’t who Josh and Cornelia think they are and the older couple are forced to rethink their quest to find the fountain of youth by living vicariously through others.
Baumbach shows us a New York City that screams gentrification. It’s funny to see that Driver’s Jamie has a hard time escaping comparisons with his character Adam from the Girls TV show. He is the consummate hipster, complete with wide brim hat, ladies’ blouse and a notepad that is whipped out whenever inspiration strikes. Like at dinner.
Watts and Stiller are awesome as the couple who are just too comfortable in the mundane and orchestrate their lives around a routine. At one point, they decide that “a month (of planning) in advance is still in the realm of spontaneity”. While We’re Young is the perfect film for people with a dry sense of humour.
Jamie and Darby have a room-mate – a real one, not a kinky arrangement – who travels with them sometimes. Every scene sees her donning a statement T-shirt that Mr Price would jump at the opportunity to sell. They carry slogans such as “Some Crappy Band” and “Some College I Never Went To.” In that sense, the film is serious as it pokes fun at the idea of wanting to be something you’re not. But it also doesn’t take itself too seriously as it’s still very funny.
If you liked Get Hard and Six Degrees of Separation, then you may like this.