Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Phillida Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

VapeJuiceDude First off let me set the record straight.I have no problem with this genre of movie, and I much prefer a movie to be dialogue driven rather than hi-octane fast cars driven, if you get my drift. I loved Nebraska, Sideways, Safety Not Guaranteed etc. so I'm partial to a bit of clever, whimsical dialogue. In fact, the film I saw before this was Last Chance Harvey, and before that, The Grand Seduction, both entirely dialogue driven and both of which I enjoyed.Neither have I a problem with Ben Stiller. Yes I liked There's Something About Mary and The Heartbreak Kid, but enjoyed even more his change of direction for the excellent The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Another reviewer pointed out that Ben Stiller's departure from the norm in this movie was similar to Adam Sandler's in Punch Drunk Love. No it wasn't. Punch Drunk Love was a quirky, jarring movie which was enjoyable.Greenberg is vapid, pretentious, and a stinker. The dialogue is terrible, the contrived situations are embarrassing, the story-line must have been written on the back of a matchbox, the acting is poor. In fact, to me the actors actually look embarrassed by the script, and have a look in their eyes that's saying "what the hell have I got myself into, and how will this affect my career".Is the movie that bad? No, it's actually worse, a lot worse.Before finishing this review I looked up the director. Noah Baumbach... never heard of him. So I said to myself, how did someone who oversaw such pretentious rubbish ever come to get a job directing films? Then I noticed that mummy and daddy are both film critics...ah, so now I know. Somehow that old adage "It's not what you know, but who you know" springs to mind. If you respect your brain cells, and appreciate the fact that 90 minutes of your time is actually a valuable asset, then give this movie a wide berth. You have been warned.

coulinjo How on earth people would put this together, look at it, and then say "Yes, let's release it with our name on it" is beyond me. Unlikable characters doing unbelievable things (what 25 year old would even look at an ugly-mannered, mean-spirited, nasty 41 year old? Self destructive is one thing, but this is just horrible to watch. I'm sick and tired of so- called indy movies following the Hollywood line of all the old guys get the young chicks, no question. Ivan and the main girl's friend are the only believable characters in the movie and I'm sad I wasted an evening on it. The cover said "Stunning" - sure, if they mean "to render senseless. There are much better movies covering the same themes.

secondtake Greenberg (2010)I've come to like Ben Stiller a lot, but here the movie just struggles and falls very flat. That's the long and short of it.Except that is for Greta Gerwig. I've also come to really like her, and she makes the movie. She lifts it out of some kind of needlessness—the plot fizzles, Stiller plays out his contrived role without much conviction, but Gerwig make subtle and warm and interesting every scene she's in.So, along those lines, I highly highly recommend "Frances Ha," which makes the most of Gerwig (and which is a good, offbeat, indie film in every way). Here, in a Hollywood mainstream effort, there seems to be a formula comedy that just went wrong on page three. These kinds of films depend on a conflict of two main characters who, of course, should really be in love, based on the screwball formula of the 1930s. That takes a lot of fierce energy and a terrific script. We get neither here. As they tone things down to be somewhat believable (and even serious underneath) they lose the humor. And the plot, and dialog, don't hold up on their own.Sad. I feel bad for Gerwig most of all…a breakthrough moment that just ended up breaking. Oddly, the writing is partly by Jennifer Jason Leigh, and I wonder if this was a script that made it to the screen based on her name. Sounded good as a pitch, no doubt, but then? Don't do it.

Spencer Olney For most recent films, nothing is close to real life. Most of the actors and actresses are not real people. It's all fiction, but movies should be something one can relate to. That is what Greenberg is. First of all, and I know I certainly do, people should have a weakness for actresses like Greta Gerwig. She is great looking, but in the same sense as a real human being, not like most actresses are presented to be. She represents innocence, she is naive. She is Florence Marr, the personal assistant to Phillip Greenberg. When Phillip, his wife and two children go on vacation to Vietnam, his brother, roger comes to sty in the house and make a dog house. Florence seems to like his, and he likes her too, except when he is with her he drives her away. Roger Greenberg is the guy who writes letters of complaint to every company who has ever slightly bothered hi, he does not drive, he tried to kill himself and was just let out of a psych ward. You know, that kind of brother. He was in a band that almost made it big, and he stays in contact with his co- songwriter (Rhys Ifans)who wants to talk to Roger, and help him. But our neurotic (anti)hero rejects him as he does with Florence, and just about everyone else. Greenberg is a character study. Ben Stiller portrays Roger as the terrible guy women tell stories of. Stiller is intriguing; for we can't stand Greenberg but we care about him. He refuses whats good for him until it could be too late. When he gets close to a little bit of happiness, she destroys it to allow himself to stay miserable and unique. Florence wants the best for him, but tires because its hard to be around someone like Roger. The film is fascinating. It delivers great performances that mimic real life. This is why most people will not like the film. Don't take it as a romance movie or a comedy, see it as the life of a troubled person.