The Meyerowitz Stories

If the second half didn't turn into an annoying scheme a la “we are looking for a way to each other after decades by whining, shouting and confrontation", when nothing else can be heard despite the deafening rustle of paper, it could have been a modern "Allen style non-Allen" classic movie. After all, it looks like this in the first two chapters, because the dialogs are sharp, acting is brilliant (especially Hoffman, who has not had such a grateful role in years and he clearly enjoys it and that Sandler and Stiller are good at acting if there is a good role can hardly surprise anyone) and it manages to outline the relationships in one dysfunctional large family in such a way that you can safely recognize those from your surroundings. It´s funny, apt and biting. But then Baumbach takes all the space for Hoffman, the supporting characters cease to be vivid anymore and become almost caricatures of themselves. The driving force should be the mentioned hunt for family catharsis, which no one wants (especially the viewer) showing more conclusions than The return of the king had and they all fade away. So, the movie is at first exceptionally good and then extremely average. (2017.10.14)

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is funny in a specific, nostalgic kind of way, where every character, or at least the main character, is disturbed in some way, but trying to live as best they can. The cast is great and it's surprising how natural the actors are, even if they do overact a bit at times. (2018.02.06)

I always wondered what it would be like if Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller (two old Hollywood comedy rivals) met in the leading roles of the same movie. Now I watched this happen – and I’m not very satisfied with the result. It’s more of a drama than a comedy, which wouldn’t necessarily hurt. Both Ben and Adam play the best they can in a drama. Ben’s character makes it clear that everything just flies past him without him batting an eye, Adam is a total eccentric. Both of them unleash their particular brand of humor at certain moments, but it always gets cut short and turns into a family drama. It’s definitely interesting from a filmmaking point of view and if nothing else, I really enjoyed Adam’s and Ben’s dialogues. But I would like them more in a movie with a better and funnier subject matter. (2020.05.26)

The episodic structure blends very nicely into a convincing-sounding account of two generations of a peculiar family, but I can't shake the feeling that this film is a somewhat defiant adversary that few viewers will be able to face in the ring. The characters are simply weird and deal with things that are hard to relate to and impossible (at least at first) to fully understand. Anyway, I applaud the amazing actors and the aforementioned tragicomic straddling that worked simply great. I will sure give it another chance. 70% (2017.12.08)