Greenberg (2010)

Directed by Noah Baumbach. Starring Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ifans, Merritt Weaver, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Messina, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Juno Temple, Mark Duplass. [R]

Fresh off treatment for a nervous breakdown, Stiller’s titular misanthrope pens angry consumer letters, engages with people without social grace or a filter, and erupts in awkward and vaguely hostile outbursts whenever he feels uncomfortable in a situation. Yet his brother’s assistant Florence (Gerwig) still finds herself drawn to him even though she insists she’s not ready for a relationship. Writer/director Baumbach doesn’t fashion much plot and limits character development for the come-and-go players, but he and Stiller create an oddly fascinating protagonist who’s as difficult to like as he is to dismiss; because Florence is shown to be bright but equable to the point of passivity, it’s clear why she goes along with Greenberg’s hang-ups at first, but not why she sticks around through all the rudeness and repudiation. Cringing and eye-rolling comes with the territory, and those averse to indie minimalism and hyper-neuroses may find it a rough trip, but no one was more perfectly suited to play the lead role than the guy who made a crude art-form out of populist embarrassment comedy. In addition to playing Stiller’s ex, Leigh also gets co-story credit.

71/100