It's Complicated (2009)

Movie · 2009 · Comedy, Romance · 2h 1m · R · English

Curator score: 2.5/10 (196.2K ratings)

First comes marriage. Then comes divorce. And then...

Overview

Ten years after their divorce, Jane and Jake Adler unite for their son's college graduation and unexpectedly end up sleeping together. But Jake is married, and Jane is embarking on a new romance with her architect. Now, she has to sort out her life—just when she thought she had it all figured out.

Ratings

Director

Nancy Meyers

Production

Waverly Films, Scott Rudin Productions

Cast

Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski, Caitlin FitzGerald, Hunter Parrish, Zoe Kazan, Lake Bell, Mary Kay Place, Rita Wilson, Ali Wentworth, Emjay Anthony, Nora Dunn, Bruce Altman, Robert Curtis Brown, James Patrick Stuart, Peter MacKenzie, Pat Finn, Heitor Pereira, Ramin Djawadi

Curator Review

Verdict

A glossy, adult-leaning romantic comedy with strong star chemistry, sharp domestic detail, and a pleasantly messy middle-aged love triangle. It’s not subtle, but it is warm, funny, and unusually comfortable letting desire, embarrassment, and family chaos coexist.

Best for

  • fans of upscale romantic comedies
  • viewers who like messy post-divorce relationship stories
  • fans of Meryl Streep and Nancy Meyers-style comfort cinema
  • people in the mood for light, polished ensemble comedy

Skip if

  • you want edgy or modern rom-com energy
  • you dislike affluent lifestyle fantasy
  • you need a tightly plotted or emotionally rigorous romance
  • you’re irritated by broad age-gap or infidelity humor

Overview

Nancy Meyers makes domestic space feel like a character, and this movie is one of her most polished showcases for that skill. The kitchens, patios, and softly lit interiors are designed to make every conversation feel like a negotiation between comfort and longing, which suits a story about two exes who never quite stopped orbiting each other.

Worth noting

The film works best when it leans into adult awkwardness: old resentments, new attraction, and the humiliating comedy of realizing your life is not as settled as you thought. Meryl Streep gives it buoyancy and intelligence, while Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin each bring a very different kind of comic pressure.

Bottom line

It’s breezy rather than deep, and some of the humor is knowingly broad, but the movie has enough charm and star power to make its complications feel pleasurable instead of exhausting. If you like romantic comedies that are more about emotional weather than plot mechanics, this is an easy watch.

Top Letterboxd reviews

Les_Vampires (2.5★) · 3743 likes

Alec Baldwin cupping Meryl Streep's vagina and saying "home sweet home" is scarier than anything in Suspiria.

genevieve (3★) · 2314 likes

there is a moment at the very beginning of this film where meryl streep grabs a plate with grapes and crackers and then proceeds to put it in the sink AND RUN WATER OVER IT. by far one of the craziest moments in cinematic history

David Sims (3★) · 2282 likes

krasinski owns in this

sree (2.5★) · 991 likes

could've gone my entire life without having to see alec baldwin's bare ass but here we are

Cody (2.5★) · 908 likes

Alec Baldwin skulks through Meryl’s life like the fucking Babadook.

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Topics

romantic comedy, adult romance, post-divorce, love triangle, ensemble comedy, upper-middle-class, lighthearted, domestic drama, 2000s, character-driven

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