Filmology Rating: 3.5 out of 4

 

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed and written by Noah Baumbach. The film stars Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, and Emma Thompson, as a group of dysfunctional adult siblings trying to live in the shadow of their aging father Dustin Hoffman.

Adam Sandler was once one of the biggest names in Hollywood during the late 90’s and early 2000’s. He brought us dumb, YET FUN, comedies such as Billy Maddison, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, Big Daddy, Anger Management, 50 First Dates and so on and so on. Somewhere along the line, as Hollywood grew up and matured, Adam Sandler never did. His style remained exactly the same and because of this, his acting and career became a joke and achieved near meme status. At 51 years old, maybe this is the year he turns it all around because holy shit he actually was in a good movie, a great one at that.

I knew that Adam Sandler could act; Comedy does take a lot of work and in his early career, his comedic timing and persona was on point. Somewhere along the line, he lost that persona and was drowning in his own sea of shitty movies. The Meyerowitz Stories is a huge leap forward in Sandler’s career because it shows not only can he still be funny, but he can do it while being being a serious actor in a serious role. This was his best work by far and I was simply blown away…. well more surprised but still blown away. Please for the love of God Adam, DO MORE MOVIES LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE. Stay away from the Jack and Jill, The Cobler, The Ridiculous 6, and Pixels type scripts out there and focus on what actually utilizes your talent!

To say this is Adam Sandler’s movie would be a grave misunderstanding however because this was a collective effort all around. Sandler, along with Ben Stiller and Emma Thompson, play the children of aging sculptor Dustin Hoffman who lands himself in the hospital. These children have to come to terms with their complex relationships with their father, who was not the best parent growing up, as well as each other as siblings. The father, Dustin Hoffman, was truly the one who stole the show. An equally funny let frustrating man to watch, his performance was one for the books. He has had a very illustrious career that includes The Graduate, Tootsie, Death of a Salesman, Rain Man, Wag the Dog, and much more and yet, this might be one of his best ever. I don't say that just to try and sell the film, I genuinely mean that. Hoffman at the age of 80, was not only able to keep up with the intense dialogue and pace of the film, but was always ahead of the game as well. He had such a presence to him that the rest seemed to be playing catch up as they try and mirror and replicate his authenticity.

The chemistry between these actors seemed so lifelike that I felt they were a real family right down the road. The dialogue hits you at a rapid fire pace that not only keeps the film moving but makes the viewer lost within the script. You form an intimate connection with the family as they struggle to come to terms with forgiveness, handing family affairs, and learning to co-exist with one another.

Speaking of this intimacy, the cinematography helps bring it to life in a very simple yet elegant fashion of truly bringing you within a scene to make you feel like you're either in the hospital with them, car, lounging on the couch, or at the art gallery with them. This unusual cinematic technique as well as its unorthodox editing made for a visual treat. The editing was used to not only transition the story from chapter to chapter, but was used to even enhance a joke. This style of editing really caught me off guard but in a very satisfying way. I wouldn’t have thought to use that type of editing but it absolutely worked in its benefit.

Netflix is stepping up their game and this is evidence of it. I would not be surprised if The Meyerowitz Stories makes a strong run for several Oscar categories. Go check this flick out if for no other reason, you get to see Adam Sandler in a not horrendous movie!

Rating: See It

-Nick