While We're Young (2014)
I've never been a big fan of Ben Stiller, perhaps liking him best as Mr. Furious in "Mystery Men". I'd also been disappointed by Amanda Seyfried in "Les Miserables" and "In Time". Yet both are very impressive here. Noah Baubach really knows how to get a great performance out of his cast.
Less surprising to me are the superb performances from Naomi Watts and Adam Driver.
While We're Young is a lot of fun. After Frances Ha, it admittedly does seem to be going back to the Wes Anderson-esque quirkiness from Squid And The Whale which I'm not such a big fan of. Nevertheless Baumbach has a very good focus on character and a great sense of humour.
The thing about While We're Young is that it's a clash of an older couple who are feeling distanced from their baby-centred friends and a younger couple who are quirky and exciting. The surprise is that the younger couple have videotapes and vinyl records while the older couple have smart phones.
In some ways this feels like a more grounded real-life version of Ayoade's The Double. The quirky events in While We're Young never go out of the realm of possibility like they do in The Double, yet everything still often seems utterly crazy in its own way anyway. The older and younger documentary makers become friends, but there's a consistently strong element of competition too. The older couple are jealous of the other couple's youth and confidence and are confused that they don't seem more experienced with age.
While We're Young has quite a subtle sense of humour and the laughs don't come as often or as effectively as they could. But it's very cleverly put together, and a very satisfying watch with some great moments and a wonderful sense of fun.
A+
Cop Car (2015)
Kind of like Jeff Nichols' "Mud", this is about a couple of young boys who get into big trouble.
As "Cop Car" begins, we see the two boys practicing insults. They aren't calling each other names. One boy says a rude word and the other boy repeats it. I had no idea at this stage that the two boys were actually going to be quite sweet and naive.
The owner of the 'cop car' turns out to be Kevin Bacon and he ends up being both a villain and a figure of fun. But there's a delightfully dark edge to this film, much moreso than you'd expect from a film with two central child stars. Our child protagonists are constantly under threat whether from one another, from being caught by authorities or being caught by Kevin Bacon's character.
A dark comedy that is unafraid to delight in wackiness even while keeping events firmly grounded. This is a carefully plotted thriller. It's interesting how this film has children throwing a spanner in the works without expecting us to be believe that adults are dumb.
One of the best films of the year. I hope I'm similarly impressed when this director takes on Spider-Man for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I doubt he'll surpass the quality of this exceptionally wonderful film.
A+