It's Complicated- *** out of ****

"It's Complicated" is best viewed with an audience ready to laugh. I saw it twice in theaters, and there was a notable difference between the two audiences. The first time, the theater was jam-packed, and there were times where the dialogue couldn't be heard above the laughter, but the second time was with a more somber audience. They didn't laugh often, and the atmosphere was hurt because of it.

That being said, this isn't a movie for everyone. Nancy Meyers, the writer and director behind the Oscar-nominated script for "Private Benjamin," is a romantic comedy veteran, but "It's Complicated" never feels like a formula film. It is rated R, and the audience is meant to be middle-aged women and their husbands. Needless to say, I don't think I was in the target range, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it.

The comedy follows Jane (Meryl Streep), the owner of a bakery who is doing quite well for herself, all things considered. Her three children have grown up, the oldest being engaged to marry Harley (John Krasinski, hilariously stealing every scene) and the youngest, Luke (Hunter Parish from HBO's "Weeds") is ready to graduate college in New York. Jane's ex-husband, Jake (Oscar nominee for "The Cooler" Alec Baldwin in an excellent comedic performance) has married the woman who caused him to gain his 'ex' status, Agness (Lake Bell). Agness can't attend Luke's graduation because her snot-nosed kid is sick, so Jake must go alone. Jane and Jake are staying in the same hotel, and after a drunken night, they get intimate. Jane has become "that woman."

This complicates matters in her life because she can't tell her kids and has a thing for the architect who is designing the expansion on her house, Adam (Steve Martin, throwing off "The Pink Panther" for a great character who is as funny as his role in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"). After you meet the characters, everything else seems to just fall into place. The affair serves as a ticking time bomb that must inevitably come to light eventually, but when it does, the reveal actually makes sense. The drama is believable because the actors are more than up to game. The script stays consistently funny while not succumbing to lazy cliches. No, the script doesn't quite defy every cliche, but do you remember "The Proposal?" Of course, everyone knew that Sandra Bullock had to come clean about the marriage sham, but why the hell did she have to come clean at the wedding? As I said, it doesn't succumb to lazy cliches but has cliches. Where is the line? I would say that the setup is everything; the way everything comes about is more important than the events themselves. Perhaps it is predictable, but this isn't meant to be a genre-busting comedy (and romantic comedy itself is inevitable for predictability), but it's meant to be an enjoyable experience. It's a success on that level.

In short, this comedy, nominated for 3 Golden Globes (Best Picture: Comedy/Musical, Best Actress: Meryl Streep, and Best Screenplay), is very real and very funny. Being the youngest of three kids in a divorced family, I understand the drama behind the idea of my parents getting back together. I loved both of them, but the idea of everything being back the way it was just hurt. It felt right and normal for my parents to be separated, and I can't quite put my finger on why neither myself nor any of my siblings wanted them to get remarried, but we just knew that it was wrong.

There's a good stretch of goofy comedy (Jane, Jake, and Adam sharing a joint is priceless), and it takes a little too long to get set up, but this film is one I must recommend. I laughed, I thought, but I'm not sure if this will be something I'll be analyzing years from now.

This is probably my shortest review. In all honesty, there isn't much else to say. At this point, you probably have a rough idea of whether this is your kind of movie or not. Act accordingly.

Rated R for drug content and some sexuality.
Released on DVD April 27. Pre-order it here.