Greenberg (2010)

Something that I’ve noticed over the last couple of years is that actors who mainly act in comedies reach a point where they seem to want to prove that they also can do serious roles. We’ve seen Jim Carrey (The Majestic, The Number 23), Adam Sandler (Punch-Drunk Love) and Will Ferrell (Stranger than Fiction) do it. Now it’s Ben Stiller’s turn. Is he convincing in his role as Roger Greenberg?

While his brother is on holiday, Roger Greenberg is staying in his house and takes care of his dog. He hasn’t been in L.A. for years and while he’s there he meets up with some members of his old band. When he was young the band had a chance to sign a record deal, but Greenberg walked away from it. Of course the other members still have some unresolved feelings about this, which leads to some interesting conversations.
Greenberg is a very weird character. He just came out of a psychiatric institution (it’s not clear for what he was treated) and really is not an easy person to get along with. Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig) is the personal assistant of the Greenbergs and it just as strange as Roger Greenberg. Marr and Greenberg spend a lot of time with each other and have a very strange relationship.

Ben Stiller impresses and his acting was very convincing. There are some funny scenes, but it’s not the focus of the movie. It’s better described as a character study. It really depends on the viewer whether or not it’s interesting enough. Personally I didn’t feel a connection with the characters which explains the low score. If that connection is there though, you will probably enjoy the movie.

Score: 5