[Movie Review] “While We’re Young” makes you rethink your existential crisis

Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you’re in, or about to face a mid-life crisis. 

Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Sure.

Secret ending? No.

Running time: 97 minutes (~1.5 hours)

“While We’re Young” is a comedy-drama about a middle-aged couple facing a mid-life crisis. But when a young couple in their 20s enters their life, it forces them to re-evaluate what’s important to them. It stars Ben Stiller (Josh), Naomi Watts (Cornelia), Adam Driver (Jamie), Amanda Seyfried (Darby), and Charles Grodin (Leslei Breitbart). It is NC-16.

It’s difficult to classify “While We’re Young” into any genre, at least within the first 20 minutes. So don’t come in with any preconceived notion of whether it’s a comedy or drama, because your expectations will be probably be skewed.. Rather, take it as a narrative about a couple finding their way in life, as we all do, and enjoy their journey of self-discovery as it makes you reflect on your personal path.

Highlights

One of the key themes of the film is about being true to oneself and not to sell out. By corollary, it also branches out into the (admittedly first world problem) mid-life crises of both Josh and Cornelia, especially since they refuse to go down the same route as their friends. The first and second Acts give a balanced discussion of these ideas, especially when Jamie and Darby enter the picture. You’ll inevitably find yourself being a little pensive about your own life, which helps bring more emotion and empathy to Josh and Cornelia’s plight.

Again, the fact that the film makes you question your own life choices means that it connects to you on both an emotional and spiritual level. Whether you’re Josh’s age, Jamie’s age, or somewhere in between, the themes are still universal – who hasn’t doubted themselves? It’s not an inaccessibly high-level philosophical discussion either, just food for thought in an increasingly commercial world.

The villain of the piece hits all the right notes, even as the identity is slowly revealed through the movie. There’s a lot of dramatic irony in how this character develops, and while you can’t root for the villain’s victory, you can’t help but understand where the antagonist is coming from. There are some larger than life moments for the character, which nicely segues into the revelation of the plot and motives of the movie’s villain.

Letdowns

While the first Act might have been an intellectual discussion of themes, talking heads do not a good movie make. It’s not an optimal way to start a movie, since it introduces too much information at once (in addition to the themes, the film has to establish the premise, characters, and conflict) and results a slow beginning that meanders into the main conflict of the film. Fortunately, all this exposition pays off later.

There’s something strange about the scene colours – some scenes look hipster, others look vintage, and there’s a stark lack of consistency and vision when it came to the colour grading. Perhaps a little less artistry and a little more uniformity would have been less distracting.

Darby’s eventual fate is unknown, which is strange given her ambiguous status in the movie. It’s not a terrible omission by any standard, but since she’s been built up as a sympathetic character, it would have been cathartic to pay that off with a fitting send off.

“While We’re Young” may not seem interesting on the first look, but grows on you as plod past the sleepy start. Give the film a chance, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with new insights about existential crises – and perhaps some revelations about your own life, too.