A family which drama which, storywise, is in the same vein as Wes Anderson's 'The Royal Tenenbaums', but doesn't quite dive as deeply into the pastiche depths of family contrivance, The Meyerowitz Stories is classic Mumblecore film which hosts some impressive performances and humorous scenes but falls flat on its face in pretentious artistic cameos, whelping and wheezing for attention.
The Tenenbaum-like Meyerowitz have a lot of emotional baggage. The patriarch artist father, Harold, (Dustin Hoffman) subconsciously orchestrates his children's lives, Danny (Adam Sandler) feels unheard and Matthew (Ben Stiller) is pressured to live up to his father's expectations. When they are all brought together in New York, they bond over a shared trauma, expelling past problems.
The film is undeniably good-hearted. Baumbach's dialogue succeeds in both comedy and tension. We see one scene where Stiller and Hoffman get lunch in a very crowded New York restaurant whose steak is 55 dollars. Their conversation is equally one-sided with neither participant listening to the other while a fellow patron repeatedly puts objects on their table, infuriating the stubborn father. In moments like these, Baumbach's sharp dialogue, excellent direction, and clear editing shine.
The performances should also be praised, particularly Dustin Hoffman. He seems to resemble Toad from Wind in the Willows, wise but stubborn. Equally, Sandler holds his own against some real heavyweights, irritatingly proving, yet again, that he can act. Again, much like Tenenbaums, Stiller doesn't quite hit the mark in some emotional scenes but as the shark-tank business-savvy brother, he mostly fits right in.
The film's issues lie in its artistic representation. Instead of allowing the film to show inspiration, Baumbach insists on shoving reference after reference down our throats. From Werner Herzog's 'Woyzeck' to a random Sigourney Weaver cameo, Baumbach weens, and prunes, holding out his ink-blotted hands which enclasp a tiny type-writer list entitled 'Things I like.' Please read them they are ever so interesting. No thank you, I think I'll get back to talking to Edgar Wright.
