Earlier this week, we got our first glimpse of Noah Baumbach’s relationship comedy, “Greenberg” starring Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig and Rhys Ifans.
The film now has an official release date, Friday, March 12, but note that it’s a select theaters/limited release to begin.
Co-conceived by Baumbach and his wife Jennifer Jason Leigh (who also co-stars), the film is about a man in his 40s at a crossroads in his life, Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller), who ends up housesitting at his brother’s home in Los Angeles. There, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with his brother’s assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig), an aspiring singer. Florence and Greenberg’s encounters lead to an uncertain and wonderfully vulnerable courtship. Rhys Ifans plays one of Stiller’s old best friends. The film also co-stars Brie Larson, Juno Temple, Chris Messina and Mark Duplass.
We pretty much figured this was a spring release. Can’t wait. As for all the “Margot At The Wedding” haters. Pie in your eye. Sure, Jack Black is a bit of a weak link (and an odd choice, but with Stiller onboard, Baumbach is obviously willing to take chances) and the characters are unlikeable, but there’s some strikingly real emotional violence in that film (and the soundtrack is super underappreciated).
Other recent Focus Films release dates include Kevin Macdonald’s “The Eagle of the Ninth” starring Jamie Bell and Channing Tatum hitting in the third quarter, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck’s “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” co-starring Zack Galifinakis and Amy Adams arriving in November and Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere” arriving at a still undisclosed 2010 date (last on the Focus Films docket, so perhaps fall 2010 as well).
Of slight concern? George Clooney’s assassin-on-a-last-mission movie, “The American” directed by Anton Corbijn (“Control”) will arrive on September 1 which is a weird date as that’s generally dumping ground season at the end of the summer. Maybe they’re trying to kick off the awards season early?
That’s even a pre-TIFF release date. A bit of an odd choice. Focus also has “Babies” on April 16, which is directed by Thomas Balmès from an original idea by Alain Chabat (the hilarious avuncular character in Michel Gondry’s “The Science of Sleep”; he might be the best part of that movie). The picture simultaneously follows four babies around the world – from birth to first steps.
