Adam Sandler is, at his core, a decent actor. Before you start laughing at this statement, allow me to explain. Granted, the movies that he appears in are more often than not terrible, but its undeniable that as a performer he does quirky outlandish humour very well and with the right direction and supporting cast around him he is more than capable of carrying a role and even a movie. The Meyerowitz Stories serves as a handy reminder of just what he can do.
The narrative of the story (or stories as the movie is split into three connected chapters) is a simple yet extremely effective one. Retired New York sculptor Harold Meyerowitz (Dustin Hoffman) is offered a chance to get 'back on the map' through an art retrospective by his daughter Jean (Elizabeth Marvel) and two sons, high flying Matthew (Ben Stiller) and low life Danny (Adam Sandler). The reunion of these differing personalities quickly leads to half-buried arguments come bubbling to the surface.
The performances of each and every member of this cast are amazing, especially Sandler. As a great father but a disappointment in the eyes of his own, he really makes this role his. He's funny, endearing and extremely relatable. The audience can sympathise with every knock-back, which Danny has seen his fair share of. Ben Stiller also really shines. Another actor who due to the low quality of most of his movies has a stigma associated with him, he portrays the polar opposite of Danny. He's rich, successful and obsessed over by his father (not that he would ever tell him). Both Stiller and Noah Baumbach (both writer and director) handle this character really well. Despite their obvious differences, Danny and Matthew are both striving for the same goal of their father's affection and respect, whilst approaching from the opposite ends of the spectrum. Of course, as this is their third appearance on screen together, Sandler and Stiller share great chemistry and watching them repair their damaged relationship is the real emotional crux of the movie. Similarly, Hoffman delivers a strong performance. He is by all accounts the villain of the piece, and if he wasn't so unintentionally hilarious he'd be near insufferable to the audience. Yet Hoffman brings a boyish charm to this dysfunctional old man. Elizabeth Marvel's Jean serves a good middle ground between her brothers and proves to be just as damaged as her siblings. Emma Thompson and Grace Van Patten both have a lot of fun in their roles and wrap up this mess of a family nicely.
Now being an Sandler/Stiller movie, there is an un-written requirement for a certain kind of comedy to be included. Strong language, dialogue that arrives at break-neck speeds and even an hilariously hapless Sandler on Stiller fist fight that will have all Happy Gilmore fans appeased. To the film's credit, its funny. Very funny. Yet under this veil of a light hearted comedy, there is an at times heart breaking tale off the adults who due to different forms of mental abuse from their father are all equally, as Jean puts it so eloquently, 'f*cked up'. All three have never truly been allowed to grow up, Matthew's success in business was all to gain his father's approval, Danny nearly breaks down when he hears the family house is being sold and Jean is haunted by incidents that I won't spoil. The realisation the three siblings undergo - that they will not resent their father's attempts at parenting as they want to be better than him - is truly compelling. Coupled with themes of betrayal, redemption, acceptance and Danny saying goodbye to his daughter as she leaves for college make this core of this movie profound and sincere, which is blended perfectly with the outrageous sense of humour.
Overall, I was massively impressed and surprised by The Meyerowitz Stories. Its a genuinely great movie. Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller offer the undoubted best performances of their careers and supported by an excellent cast they hold up narrative that is both hilarious and heartfelt in equal measure. And it's now available on Netflix from the comfort of your sofa. What could be better than that?
4/5 Stars
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