Greenberg

Ben Stiller takes a turn for the more dramatic, and I like when he does that. In writer-director Noah Baumbach’s latest, he plays Roger Greenberg, a former musician in his early 40s housesitting for his brother in Los Angeles. Roger recently completed a stay at a mental facility, and he’s a little on edge. That doesn’t stop him from starting a somewhat dysfunctional relationship with Florence (Greta Gerwig), his brother’s assistant. Stiller gets to gnash his dramatic teeth quite a bit here, including some rather authentic and fierce temper tantrums. The script isn’t as good as his performance, but he and Gerwig make it worth watching. Costars Jennifer Jason Leigh as a somewhat anxious ex-girlfriend, and Rhys Ifans as a former band member who tries his best to remain friends with the man who derailed his career.