While We're Young - B+

Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts

Rated R, 94 minutes 
Wes's Grade: B+

Honest "While We're Young" is a smart, fresh look at generation gaps

If you've ever been told to act your age, then then the organic yet entertaining new comedy "While We're Young" provides a fresh, well-acted exploration of age-appropriateness, generation gaps and ambitions. Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts are Josh and Cornelia, a childless and forties New York couple, a documentary filmmaker and his film producer wife. As their other friends are having children, Josh and Cornelia gravitates toward a young, charming hipster couple named Jamie (Adam Driver), who's an aspiring documentary filmmaker himself, and his lovely wife Darby (Amanda Seyfried). The couple feel some newfound energy with Jamie and Darby, though Josh soon discovers their new friends aren't as honest as they might seem. Directed and written by Noah Baumbach ("The Squid and the While"), "While We're Young" is an effusive, honest and well-acted dramedy that highlights our age gaps and knowing the time to really grow up (and more importantly, knowing when and if to have children), not to mention each group's motivations and approach to life and work; it's one of Baumbach's more original efforts as of late, with some great dialogue and terrific performances from all involved, especially from Stiller and "Girls" Driver, who nearly steals the movie as the charming hipster (fedoras and wing-tips with no socks) who's so disarming it hides the real prick underneath all his charm, though as Stiller's character says of him: he's not a bad person per se, he's just young. "While We're Young" also has a strong supporting cast, including veteran actor Charles Grodin (remember him from "Beethoven"?) in one of his funniest roles in years, not to mention singer Adam Horovitz, yes that Adam Horovitz of "Beastie Boys" fame, as Stiller's age appropriate best friend, and actor/real estate agent/reality star Ryan Serhant in one of the film's funniest sequences in which Josh attempts to get financing for his film. The movie rambles some near the end, and Seyfried's character is largely nonessential, but the smart "While We're Young" is still an enjoyable, relatable comedy that says some bad behavior can be pinned to age. One of Baumbach's stronger efforts of late, it's worth a look.