Starring Ben Stiller, Rhys Ifans, Greta Gerwig
Directed by Noah Baumbach

★★★★

Anyone who has heard word of mouth about Greenberg will probably have heard that it marks Ben Stiller’s first ‘serious role’. This is not entirely the case but while he hasn’t quite done a Robin Williams or Jim Carrey-esque U-turn, what he has done is give the best and most interesting performance of his career.

This is the story of Roger Greenberg (Stiller), a New York based carpenter who, upon having just completed a spell in hospital following a nervous breakdown, agrees to move back to Los Angelas to look after his brother’s house while he and his family are away on business. Also looking in on the house, as well as on Roger, is his brother’s young assistant Florence (Gerwig). Though awkward at first, the two eventually embark on an unlikely (and indeed bizarre) relationship.

As events develop and Roger reluctantly reacquaints himself with a past he ran away from, we learn that he not only chose to opt out of the life he had but also left behind a lot of bitterness in the process. So he tackles old ghosts and tries to justify past doings, all with the help of former college/band mate Ivan (a fantastic Rhys Ifans), who is not only the closest thing he has to a best friend but also the most likely to still tolerate him.

Ultimately, Greenberg is a wonderfully off beat, heartfelt, tragic and often hilarious journey of reluctant amend making and the desperate search for identity even at the cost of those closest to you.

Although at times it can enter the realm of the less-than-believable it is difficult to fault this film; the script is quite brilliant (most notably in the exchanges between Roger and Ivan) and it boasts a hat trick of superb performances from a relative newcomer (Greta Gerwig), a sturdy supporter (Rhys Ifans) and a lead very well known for very different works (Ben stiller). All three have award season written all over them. I highly recommended it.