Noah Baumbach

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Count me in for this one: Keira Knightley, Eric Bana, and Richard Gere have all signed on to star in The Emperor's Children, based on Claire Messud's novel.

Taking place before and after 9/11, the dramedy centers on three Brown University grads as they approach their 30s and deal with the pressures of responsibility and expectations. Relatable, yes, but I often worry when films try to use 9/11 as a reference point, because sometimes it can feel like a manipulative way to conjure up tears; however, the good news here is Noah Baumbach (most recently of Greenberg) is taking on the directing duties, which could make it a really poignant, introspective movie. He is also adapting the screenplay.

Gere is reportedly playing a more supporting character role, and since Bana is 41, I'm guessing Knightley is the only one of the three portraying one of the Brown alumni. Hey, at least she'll get a break from those laced-up corsets she usually wears.

It always feels slightly off when a comic actor takes on a serious role. Not that Ben Stiller hasn't proven his flexibility with fare like Reality Bites or Friends & Neighbors, but never before has he seemed so straight-faced, vulnerable, and well, depressing, as he does in Noah Baumbach's latest Greenberg. In fact, it took a few scenes for me to settle in to Stiller as Roger, a 40-year old with severe social and mental anxiety. His face is tired, there's no sense of a smirk — even Stiller's gray hair is on display (Derek Zoolander would not be pleased).

The film follows Roger as he returns from a recent institutional visit (due to a nervous breakdown) to house-sit for his brother Phillip (Chris Messina). He spends his days writing angry letters to Starbucks and Mayor Bloomberg, and looks on as neighbors play in the backyard pool, afraid of human contact. The only lifeline Roger actually makes is the family's personal assistant, Florence (Greta Gerwig) and their German shepherd.

Almost immediately, Florence and Roger hop into a bumbling courtship. Roger seems drawn to her mid-twenties youth; Florence, in turn, is grappling with quarterlife uncertainty about life, and in Roger she sees someone much older who hasn't figured it all out either. It seems feasible that they'd get together, but not quite as likely that she'd put up with him. Basically, Roger is a very unlikeable guy, and like most Baumbach movies, his human flaws are both intriguing — and painful — to watch.

To see what I mean, read more

I have a love/hate relationship with Ben Stiller movies. Over the years, I've grown tired of seeing him in the same everyman role again and again (with a few exceptions, like There's Something About Mary), but every now and then he throws a curve ball that pulls me back in. Greenberg already looks like one of the latter films.

The upcoming indie movie from The Squid and the Whale director Noah Baumbach follows Roger Greenberg, a middle-aged New Yorker who heads to LA and decides to "do nothing" in an attempt to figure out his life. The movie looks like it could be a tearjerker, but maybe that's just because LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends" is playing in the background. (The band's James Murphy lends a few new songs to the movie). Rhys Ifans is Roger's best friend while Greta Gerwig is the woman he befriends and beds. If you're ready to see Stiller take a break from slapstick, check out the trailer when you read more