Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts play a settled New York couple who meet a hip duo (Adam Driver & Amanda Seyfried). Charmed by the younger couple’s free-spirited approach to life, the 40-somethings develop a fast friendship and forsake the trappings of their mature mindset. Just when this film’s age premise starts to wear thin, the relationships develop deeper implications. Stiller ably handles the humor in his character’s dilemmas, but it’s Driver quirky personality that charms the screen. Writer/director Noah Baumbach has created a sharply-observed satire on the generation gap that provides more chuckles than laffs. Still, this perceptive parody is fun. NOTE: Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary plays the subject of the film’s documentary.
(4 / 5)