The idea of first impressions being definitively final is such a passé concept, since there are many instances of a second chance sometimes being more meaningful than a first encounter. No one understands this better than Nancy Meyers, who has made something of a career based around ordinary protagonists going in search of some deeper meaning to their humdrum lives, and in the process discovering new ways to reinvent themselves and start a new chapter. Over the course of seven films (remarkably paltry for someone who has proven to have quite a strong grasp on contemporary comedies), she has crafted some fascinating and moving stories, mostly based around women finding their way through a world that they no longer recognise, and discovering an unexpected path forward. It’s Complicated is a peculiar film – it’s neither her biggest commercial nor critical success, and it is mostly seen as a slightly lesser effort from a holistic point of view, but also somehow manages to be extremely popular for reasons that are not too difficult to determine based on the underlying ideas present throughout the film. The film follows Jane, a successful business owner who is relatively content with her life – she has a thriving career, and her children are slowly moving out of the house and starting their own lives. This all becomes complicated when she encounters her ex-husband, who has, in turn, gotten remarried, but makes it clear that he still harbours feelings for his former partner, who secretly feels the same. It’s even more challenging when Jane encounters a charismatic architect who sweeps her off her feet with his gentle, pleasant demeanour that presents a stark difference from the animalistic crudeness of her ex-husband. Suddenly, she’s plunged into an existential crisis and forced to choose between two men who both excite and terrify her, leading to some very difficult decisions along the way. Simple and effective in both concept and execution, It’s Complicated is wickedly entertaining and has earned its place within the canon of contemporary romantic comedies that seem straightforward on the surface but gradually reveal themselves to have much more depth than we could ever have anticipated.

On the surface, It’s Complicated seems like a film we’ve all seen in some form before – a comfortably wealthy protagonist has to endure some of the most trivial challenges anyone could hope to face, and whose biggest frustration is around making a choice that many would be envious of having as their most notable problem. Yet, this is just a very shallow reading of a film that is actually far more nuanced, at least in terms of many of its ideas. Meyers is not one for infusing her films with layers of depth – what we see on the surface is the majority of what will follow as the story progresses, and outside of the occasional twist and turn, it remains relatively simple in construction. Yet, as tempting as it may be to view this film as simply a one-dimensional story about a woman forced to choose between two very alluring partners, the film is surprisingly not restricted to this plot component, even if it is the catalyst for most of the narrative. Instead, the film is covertly a statement on a woman of a certain age deciding that she is worth more than the banal existence into which she has been forced to settle, and rather than just nestling into this bland ennui that she finds solid but dreadfully boring, she pursues a more exciting way of life through making small changes, some of which are done against her better judgement. It’s often said that the heart and the brain can operate as two entirely separate entities, to the point where they can be in direct contention with one another when it comes to certain matters – biologically, this is a ridiculous concept, but on a psychological and emotional level, it has some relevance, even if only in terms of metaphorical meaning. Some have been very fast to label this film as the story of a woman undergoing a midlife crisis, but it is so much more profound, and it is more appropriate to look at It’s Complicated as a tale of female empowerment, following someone as they get the chance to reinvent themselves, this time on their own terms, following the path that they believe is most appropriate and ultimately marching to the beat of their own drum, which can be gloriously liberating, and which Meyers insists on using as the very core of this delightfully irreverent comedy about the feeling of freedom that comes when taking matters into your own hands, especially after society has placed you in a category from which escape is seemingly impossible.

Meyers has been in the industry for a long time, working as a writer and producer before she stepped behind the camera as a director, which meant that she has made several friends along the way, and which has allowed her to enlist quite an impressive roster of actors to join her in these delightfully off-the-wall comedies, including one of the most high-profile thespians of their generation. One of the central points of allure (and which many may argue is the foundation of its success) is that It’s Complicated features a collaboration between the director and Meryl Streep, who obviously doesn’t require an introduction or any attempt to put her talents into words, since anyone with even the vaguest knowledge of her career will be aware of her credentials. What we can remark on is how her versatility has allowed her to seamlessly nestle into just about any role, to the point where an upbeat, broadly comedic romance is more than within her capabilities, and there is never a moment where it feels like her presence is being used to add gravitas to the film, nor is it wasting her skills by presenting her with something any actor of her generation could achieve. There’s an argument to be made that Jane Adler is a character that is quintessentially designed for Streep, since while it is a very broad role, there are aspects of it that feel tailored to her acting style, particularly when she can set aside the more intense talents and instead take on a more freewheeling, upbeat style of acting that massively benefits this film. She’s joined by two wonderful actors as her primary scene partners, including Steve Martin at his most adorable, playing a milquetoast but genuinely endearing architect (and who is remarkably subdued considering his tendency to also go quite broad), and Alec Baldwin in what is very likely amongst his best film roles, particularly since he delivers a performance that reminds us of his irresistible charisma and interminable swagger that we’ve sadly seen become far less frequent in recent years. The film is unquestionably defined by Streep, but Baldwin and Martin are not too far behind, forming a fantastically unconventional trio of characters that give the film so much character.

It has become extremely easy to spot a Meyers film from a distance, since they have a visual and tonal quality that makes them very distinct (and allows for a wealth of imitators trying to take the mantle from her as far as the genre goes), and which we find recurs throughout It’s Complicated, which is in many ways a work fully-immersed in the director’s trademark qualities. For some, it is indicative of the same trite conventions that we find constantly throughout the genre, whereas for others it is the epitome of comfort cinema – I fall between the two, being able to see the cliches for what they are, but also finding a lot of value in the traditional, upbeat style of filmmaking that is certainly not without its merits when looking at them from a distance. Visually, the film looks exactly how we expected – it takes place in the most perfectly-maintained homes in the heart of upper-class suburbs, or in the most luxurious corners of major cities, where everything is perfect and not a flaw can be found throughout. The usual trait of the Meyers kitchen is even more prominent here – there are two that serve as a stage for some of the film’s main events, and a large part of the plot revolves around the construction of an entirely new kitchen (and there is even an argument to be made about what these kitchens represent in the director’s work, since they’re far too prominent to just be incidental) – and the visual component conveys a sense of aspirational comfort, with the presence of relatable, recognizable characters in these luxurious settings exuding the idea that anyone can achieve such comfort. This is bundled with the tone of the film, which is where we really start to see the director’s most prominent traits shining through. Meyers makes films that tend to be quite heavy-handed and which become sentimental to the point of bordering on saccharine, but she easily counteracts this with a genuinely ingenious approach to the humour, which is sharp and scathing, to the point where we actually find the comedy undercutting the more overwrought moments in a way that is quite adventurous. It’s perfectly pitched at the precise level that we would expect from the director, who has brought so many of these stories to life with precision and a consistently endearing tone, and this film is not any different in that regard.

Over the past decade, the tide has slightly shifted as far as public perception of Meyers and her films tend to go – usually viewed as someone who made trivial, almost inconsequential, romantic comedies that do not always contain much substance, the fact that she has been so selective about her projects (as well as being quite open about her struggles to get funding for her recent efforts) has allowed her to undergo quite a significant reanalysis, with the general perception now being that she’s a singular voice that works within populist cinema, but does so with charm and panache, and has proven to be exceptionally gifted in her particular niche. No one ventures into a film like It’s Complicated under the assumption that it will be some hard-hitting socio-cultural statement, but rather a well-crafted character study that never strives for realism, and is ultimately the beneficiary of a more maximalist, off-the-wall approach that feels entirely earned and easily justified by the fact that everything comes together perfectly towards the end, delivering exactly what was promised at the outset, and not an ounce more than was required. Anchored by one of the most gloriously endearing performances from Streep, as well as a fantastic secondary cast that provide her with all the support she needed to bring this character to life, the film is a wonderful ode to the women who realize that they don’t need to settle for the bare minimum, and can instead strive for something far more compelling, even going so far as to start a new chapter – or perhaps even an entirely new book from which they draw their day-to-day inspiration. Captivating, enthralling and never anything other than wholeheartedly entertaining, It’s Complicated is a terrific comedy that is as earnest as it is entertaining, and earns every bit of our admiration and affection.