Greenberg

When you think of Ben Stiller, you think of slapstick comedies like "Meet the Parents," "Tropic Thunder," and "Zoolander."  This probably explains why there are so many negative reviews on Blockbuster's website complaining that his latest film "Greenberg" is too slow and boring.  So it's important to say that while this is a comedy and it stars Ben Stiller, it isn't a Ben Stiller comedy.

Rather, "Greenberg" is far more for grown ups than "Grown Ups."  The movie centers around Roger Greenberg (Stiller) who's recently been released from a mental hospital after a nervous breakdown brought on by anxiety.  His brother is taking his family on vacation in Vietnam for six weeks and asks Roger to look after the house.  He's not alone in this as there's also his brother's assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig) who is also an aspiring singer.

It doesn't take long for Roger and Florence to hook up, but Roger quickly sabotages the relationship as he's pretty much sabotaged every relationship in his life.  And that's really the whole point of the movie.  Here we have a 41-year-old guy who's alienated most everyone in his life due to his own neuroses and probably a fear of intimacy.  Can he finally get his [stuff] together to make things work with Florence?  We shall see.

Or at least some people will see.  Those who are expecting cheap and easy laughs like "Meet the Parents" probably shouldn't see this.  If you're an adult who likes quirky comedies like "Punch Drunk Love," where Adam Sandler similarly toned down the hamboneness, then you'll probably enjoy this.

That is all.

My score:  85/100 (3.5 stars)

Metacritic score:  76/100 (3 stars)