In a New York state of mind: The Meyerowitz Stories
If Woody Allen ever kicks the bucket, Noah Baumbach is poised to take over the mantle as New York’s greatest living Jewish filmmaker, telling stories that are at once funny, poignant and scathing. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) marks the 48-year-old’s third New York-set movie in a row and he has hit the jackpot by casting three of Hollywood’s biggest Jewish stars. Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller play brothers while Dustin Hoffman plays their dad. How eccentric could one film get?
The film is coming just as Greta Gerwig, Baumbach’s partner in life and screenwriting (Frances Ha, Mistress America), has had a huge hit on the festival circuit with her directing debut, Lady Bird. Stiller also starred in one of the best other films on the circuit, teaming for the first time with Mike White in Brad’s Status where his character is far less successful than in Meyerowitz even if he’s just as anxious. ‘Has anyone suffered through more cinematic midlife crises than Ben Stiller?’ asked one critic.
