“Greenberg” is the latest film starring Ben Stiller, but this is no “Zoolander” comedy.
In the tradition of 40-something comedians ranging from Adam Sandler to Steve Carell, Stiller takes on a serious role.
The Greenberg family is off to Vietnam for a vacation. Phillip Greenberg leaves his assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig) instructions to be available to his brother Roger, who will be staying in his home while he is away.
Roger Greenberg (Stiller) has returned to Los Angeles from New York after experiencing a nervous breakdown.
In his youth, he grasped success when his band received a record contract, but Greenberg’s paranoia got the best of him and botched the deal for the band.
Greenberg attempts to reconnect with old friends in L.A. and he is attracted to Florence, but his erratic behavior hurts those around him, just as it did when he was young.
Stiller said he was excited to play the title role with Noah Baumbach directing. Baumbach was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay “The Squid and the Whale.”
“There are four or five filmmakers, if you get a call from them as an actor, you say ‘yes’ no matter what it is,” Stiller said in a conference call. “I was lucky enough when he was calling me. It was something I was excited by because it was so specifically written.”
Baumbach said he wanted someone with a comedy background to play Greenberg, but he advised Stiller not to play the funny scenes for laughs.
Although Baumbach and cast member Jennifer Jason Leigh wrote the script, Baumbach said Stiller had a hand in developing his character.
“He improvised and inhabited the part and transformed the character,” Baumbach said. “I feel only part ownership now. Ben is as responsible [for Greenberg] as I am.”
One of Greenberg’s quirks is his penchant for writing angry letters to large companies such as Starbucks, an activity that suggests deep frustration with life.
“There is something funny and moving about someone getting so invested in letting these faceless corporations know how he felt about something,” Baumbach said. “At the same time, there’s something futile about it.”
Greenberg is frustrated by youth and admits he is fearful of the confidence of young people. He struggles to accept his age, something that is brought up in his relationship with Florence, who is four years out of college.
The use of extreme close-ups emphasizes the ages of the characters, an essential component to the story. Stiller’s crow’s feet are spotlighted in all their glory.
Music plays an important role in the film. Aside from the characters discussing their own musical tastes — such as when Greenberg says he feels Duran Duran is good drug music and a college-aged partier feels Korn is a better choice — the songs that are actually heard set a mood.
The soundtrack includes songs from the 1970s such as Steve Miller Band’s “Jet Airliner,” Albert Hammond’s “It Never Rains in Southern California” and Paul and Linda McCartney’s “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey.”
James Murphy’s score is subdued, leaving the focus on the characters in the scenes.
“I didn’t try to make a soundtrack that emphasized emotions,” Murphy said. “After seeing the first dailies, the actors were doing amazingly well. It would be saccharine to punch it up.”
“Greenberg” is a study of the title character and his re-introduction to the city where he grew up after a major crisis in his life.
It premieres in New York and Los Angeles March 19 and will be released to limited theaters March 26.
