But the gimmick is always well-executed and suggests that we’re privy to several interconnected short stories being told to us by writer/director Noah Baumbach. Dustin Hoffman plays Harold Meyerowitz, the family patriarch whose multiple marriages produced three children, Jean (Elizabeth Marvel), Matthew (Ben Stiller) and Danny (Adam Sandler). One of the songs is a lovely ditty about the relationship between Danny and Eliza. With its often overwhelming familiarity, the subgenre of dysfunctional family dramedies has negated Tolstoy’s notion that every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. 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, Dustin Hoffman, Elizabeth Marvel and Emma Thompson, and follows a group of dysfunctional adult siblings trying to live in the shadow of their father.. It also manages to succeed when it occasionally succumbs to them. Of the many human characteristics keenly observed in “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected),” the most powerful is the lonely sense of being the only something in one’s family.The only failure, the only daughter, the only one with no artistic talent—these are traits that, whether incontrovertible or questionable, are clutched like well-earned badges of honor by the Meyerowitz brood. Mark Kermode reviews The Meyerowitz Stories. (131), American comedy-drama films Critics Pick Film Review: ‘The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)’ Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller play half-brothers working out family issues in the best Netflix Original film to date. “The Meyerowitz Stories (New & Selected)” gives the entire cast wonderful opportunities to dig into their characters and provide us with some of the funniest laugh out loud moments of the year. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here. Coincidentally, Harold’s old university wants to put on a show featuring his sculptures—a move championed by Danny—but Harold doesn’t want to share the spotlight. With entries often pushing melodrama and character arcs to neat, organised catharsis, it has become as predictable as bad romantic comedies. As the two battle for control and the audience’s sympathy, Baumbach reveals several symbolic comparisons between the two men: Danny has a bum leg but Matthew’s neuroses are just as crippling. Starring: Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman. Several shots of a topless woman, playing multiple characters in her movie. When “The Meyerowitz Stories” takes Harold temporarily out of the picture due to a health scare, a deeper antagonism is revealed between Matthew and Danny. Audience Reviews for The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) Dec 12, 2017 A mix of family drama and comedy with a very subtle humor, not unlike Anderson's Royal Tennenbaums. College woman makes a movie about having a vagina and a penis. Unlike his prior work, Baumbach is surprisingly humane here. The Meyerowitz Stories reviewed by Mark Kermode — with Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield. Film critic Justin Chang has this review. Sandler finds the perfect line between tragedy and comedy for Danny. In the never-ending battle of the sibling, the stats matter. But “The Meyerowitz Stories” shockingly belongs to Sandler, who is absolutely fantastic. (279), Films set in New York City He still does his hollering angry man-child shtick, but here it stems organically from the character and is never used as a comedic crutch. Observing all this, and occasionally contributing to the story, is Jean. The duo bond over a song on the radio and commiserate about the obnoxious New York drivers whose impatience keep wrecking Danny’s parking opportunities. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) Director: Noah Baumbach Rating: NR Release Date: October 13, 2017 (Netflix/limited) Every few years there’s a reminder of Adam Sandler’s talent as an actor/the abilities he routinely squanders in forgettable comedies. Baumbach almost makes it up to Marvel when Jean finally gets her own title card and story, the result of which pulls the siblings together in an act of childish mischief disguised as revenge. This father-daughter relationship is far cozier than the one Jean has with Harold; Danny seems to be a self-consciously less antagonistic parent. This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection, The Story of Who We Are: Gregory Nava Helps Celebrate Selena’s 50th Birthday, Thumbnails Special Edition: Gregory Nava's Selena, The Brilliance is in the Details of HBO’s Riveting Mare of Easttown. Meyerowitz Stories (New & Selected) (New York Film Festival 2017) 4.5 stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 4th October 2017 by Sarah Cartland Leave a Comment “Maybe he’s undiscovered for a reason,” says Matt (Ben Stiller) about his sculptor father Harold. After introducing Danny and briefly highlighting his struggles with Harold, “The Meyerowitz Stories” pivots to Danny’s half-brother, Matthew. The main thrust of The Meyerowitz Stories deals with how this particular family reacts to, and cares for, … The siblings fling their Purple Hearts with reckless abandon, sometimes to curry favor and other times to wound. Though rarely laugh-out-loud funny, "The Meyerowitz Stories" succeeds in putting a smile on the face of anyone who recognizes the thin slice of the Big Apple that it depicts. Danny is angry at his brother for leaving. We learn that Harold has had some modicum of success as a sculptor, though lately he hasn’t been as prolific as he was in his youth. Some of his best moments involve just a facial gesture or a well-placed pause. Danny’s opening vignette sets the pattern for how “The Meyerowitz Stories” will operate. But a win, no matter how Pyrrhic, is still a win. The website's critical consensus reads, " The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) observes the family dynamic through writer-director Noah Baumbach's bittersweet lens and the impressive efforts of a remarkable cast." It tries to be a movie that can be as funny as it is dramatic, that can be as quirky as it is touching and that can be as relatable as it … Baumbach has also finally written a role for Stiller that doesn’t inspire outright hatred. Like Gene Hackman’s Royal in Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” Harold possesses a charm that draws people toward him before his dark side keeps them at bay. The only failure, the only daughter, the only one with no artistic talent—these are traits that, whether incontrovertible or questionable, are clutched like well-earned badges of honor by the Meyerowitz brood. Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy reviewed by Mark Kermode, Assassination Nation reviewed by Mark Kermode, The LEGO Ninjago Movie reviewed by Mark Kermode, See all clips from with Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield, The Reckoning reviewed by Anna Bogutskaya, Aubrey Plaza, Promising Young Woman & I Blame Society, I Blame Society reviewed by Anna Bogutskaya, The Sound of Scars reviewed by Anna Bogutskaya, Promising Young Woman reviewed by Anna Bogutskaya, See all clips from Kermode and Mayo's Film Review, American films Matthew is rich and miserable while Danny is a failure but can at least find a ray of sunshine in his daughter. “The Meyerowitz Stories” features a lineup of known names, even in the small roles, and the cast includes headliners Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller, plus Dustin Hoffman, Candice Bergen, Emma Thompson, Grace Van Patten, and Adam Driver. The movie is about empathy, loss, family, forgiveness and love, but it tries to be something else. In The Meyerowitz Stories, whose self-mocking subtitle (New and Selected) comes free of charge, Adam Sandler (yes, that Adam Sandler) says it best. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) Review. He beats up on his characters, but he also gives them a salve to help heal the wounds. Of the many human characteristics keenly observed in “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected),” the most powerful is the lonely sense of being the only something in one’s family. Unlike Danny, Matthew was no good at anything arty and instead has become a very powerful, very successful financial planner. A family who barely talk gather together in New York for an event celebrating their father. The Meyerowitz Stories reviewed by Mark Kermode Mark Kermode reviews The Meyerowitz Stories. Matthew wants to sell Harold’s current house, a house Danny is attached to despite the fact he did not grow up there. (57), English-language Netflix original films These battles play out for the benefit of a father who, as the children should know by now, is too self-absorbed to really take notice. You might think, upon learning that The Meyerowitz Stories stars Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller—and that it includes a scene where the two slap-fight and wrestle pathetically on a university quad—that the movie is a stupid comedy. Odie "Odienator" Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. While “The Meyerowitz Stories” is yet another one of these movies, it does manage to circumvent some of the more predictable clichés. Some simulated screwing with both a man and a woman. A family who barely talk gather together in New York for an … He’s only mentioned in passing in Danny’s first vignette, and he gets his own set of scenes with Harold before the film merges their plotlines. Hoffman adds another layer to this familiar archetype, a comic brittleness that pricks the viewer like a cactus touching a balloon. Noah Baumbach's The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is now streaming on Netflix. Though a self-proclaimed failure, Danny appears to be the only one of his children who inherited some form of artistic creativity. Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is a funny and really enjoyable family comedy on classic lines with all the attendant pleasures of … He’s stepped into the ranks of the best filmmakers of the era. She and Emma Thompson, as Harold’s hippie-ish drunk of a fourth wife, get some of the biggest laughs but still feel underutilized. This is one of the year’s best movies. (214), Films shot in New York City Read about our approach to external linking. Grudges and rivalries abound as three adult siblings converge in New York to contend with their prickly artist father -- and his fading legacy. Which is why i'm so happy to report that 'The Meyerowitz Stories' is one of the best dramedies I've seen all year! Danny’s college-age daughter Eliza (Grace van Patten) has accompanied him on this visit to her grandparents’ house. SXSW Movie Reviews TV Reviews Roundtables Podcasts THR Presents 'The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)': Film Review | Cannes 2017 5:54 AM PDT 5/21/2017 by Todd McCarthy (207), Films about dysfunctional families A title card appears, then a scene builds to a crescendo before abruptly being cut off by another segment. It isn’t, though it does feature a number of acrid laughs and a few displays of idiocy. This review was originally published during the Cannes Film Festival. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. (35). It’s not enough, however; Marvel is so good in the role that one longs for a lot more of her. Mark Kermode reviews The Meyerowitz Stories. A father’s fear of letting his daughter venture out into the world alone. Near the end of Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (currently playing at the New York Film Festival and set to premiere on Netflix on October … As boisterous and edgy as “The Meyerowitz Stories” gets, it is a more mellow film, and to my eyes and ears all the better for it. - Kermode & Mayo's Film Review. With Harold, everyone else’s feelings are secondary or non-existent, and in the rare moments he’s completely present and on your side, it still feels as if he’s there under duress. Read the Empire Movie review of The Meyerowitz Stories (New And Selected). (48), Films produced by Scott Rudin We first meet Danny, who is trying to find a parking space in the no-parking wonderland that is the East Village. The way “The Meyerowitz Stories” often demotes its funniest character to the sideline is a calculated, though not always successful, attempt at portraying Jean’s odd-man-out status as the only daughter in the Meyerowitz clan. His charity extends to minor characters like Harold’s more successful rival (Judd Hirsch in an endearing cameo) and Harold’s first wife, (Candice Bergen, who gets a great monologue). It’s a rich, surprising performance. In The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), Noah Baumbach successfully captures the inner workings of family dysfunction.A strained long-distance relationship between two brothers with segregated childhoods. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 92% based on 181 reviews, and an average rating of 7.66/10. Dustin Hoffman is the domineering father setting his adult children at each other’s throats in Noah Baumbach’s dry comedy. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) 2017 | TV-MA | 1h 52m | Independent Movies. The other pokes fun at a faux pas Harold committed at one of his art shows. Eventually, the brothers come to blows in a wrestling match that’s so garish and true-to-life it will immediately conjure up memories for any guy who has a brother. Additionally, he shades his performance with subtleties both physical and verbal. (275), American independent films No other actor is more masterful at conveying this kind of aggravating self-righteousness, whether aggressively or passively, than Hoffman. Matthew ran for the shores of Los Angeles as soon as he could, and didn’t look back. It’s no wonder Harold’s children have issues. (1922), 2017 films Exasperation, joy and forgiveness flow through him in perfectly calibrated measures. Nevertheless, it's an engrossing and horrifying story. Later, we’ll see that Eliza also has a good relationship with her uncle and especially her aunt. The Meyerowitz Stories (forget about that pretentious subtitle) is still effective. (98), Films set in New York (state) His interactions with the other characters are rife with complex emotions unlike any he’s played before. In terms of demographic appeal, this cast spread would seem to have it covered from 18 to 80. Duration: 1:45. Some of the cuts are hilariously rendered, others feel like interruptions in one’s train of thought. The Meyerowitz Stories review – family at war. “The Meyerowitz Stories” is a film that tries to be something it isn’t. His latest picture in this vein is "The Meyerowitz Stories (New And Selected)," a Netflix original film starring Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller and Dustin Hoffman. He’s a songwriter who plays piano. Cannes Review: A Great Adam Sandler Performance Makes ‘The Meyerowitz Stories’ One of Noah Baumbach’s Best This isn’t the wittiest or most exciting movie that … Danny sings two songs written by Sandler, Baumbach and Randy Newman, who also provides the score. 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