Pre-loved movie review: It's complicated. Plus DVD review of 500 Days of Summer.

What I absolutely loved about It's Complicated were the sets. Jane (Meryl) lived in my dream house in Santa Barbara. She ran some kind of bakery/cafe which was also Dean & Deluca-gorgeous. I find it comforting to watch a movie where nobody is worried about money and everybody lives and dresses beautifully. What I didn't like is a longer list. First, from the little I know about running a restaurant, the owner works all the f-ing time but Jane had time to jog in the mornings, have friends over for dinner, and pop in to see her therapist during the day. Sure her ex is a big lawyer and she probably got a terrific settlement, but still. I also felt that Hollywood was pandering to women over the age of 45. Case in point: On a date, when Jane asks Adam (Steve Martin) whether she's not too old for him, he replies that her age is what he likes about her. All the women in the sold-out theater sighed but I gagged on my popcorn. It's a cliche line and he should have/could have been more specific or elaborated, i.e. You and I know the words to the same songs. There were a couple of other places where the appreciation of aging felt forced, as did Jane's "you-go girl" girlfriends. Jon Krasinski as Jane's future son-in-law was a bright spot. Overall, it was a fun romp in fantasy land. If you want the camaraderie of a theater full of pre-loved, 40+, Chico's-clad women in Dansko shoes, go see It's Complicated. Otherwise wait for it to come out on DVD.

I also watched 500 Days of Summer, which I loved. It was quirky (in a good way) and inventive (in an amusing way). There was a Disney-esque song and dance scene that was brilliant IMHO. I did find the Zooey Deschanel character irritating but maybe that's because I fell so hard for the man character who's name I can't remember. Cuteness, earnestness, everything any chick besides Summer would kill for.

What these two films share is a new trend in films I've been noticing: the melancholy, non-happy ending. These films didn't deliver the endings my sappy little heart expected and hoped for (especially from Hollywood) but neither did they deliver the endings that made me want to get in a warm bath and open a vein. I wonder if it's a sign of the economic times? Hollywood is still serving up escapist fantasies but with a tiny sprinkle of despair and reality.