Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Roger Greenberg, a failed musician now making a living as a carpenter in New York, returns to Los Angeles to house-sit for his brother. He's stranded there—since he doesn't drive—until his brother's assistant, Florence, comes to his rescue. She's as much a lost soul as he is, and the pair form a significant connection—giving Roger a much-needed reason to be happy.
Greenberg is carried almost entirely by Ben Stiller's remarkably committed dramatic performance and Greta Gerwig's naturalistic, proto-mumblecore work as Florence — the acting is the film's clear standout. The plot is a deliberately slight character study of an unlikable, anxiety-ridden man drifting through LA, which works as a premise but meanders without much narrative propulsion. Noah Baumbach's direction is precise but not visually ambitious — competent, unfussy cinematography that serves the story without distinguishing itself. Novelty is moderate: the film has a distinct voice and Baumbach's unsentimental take on arrested development feels specific, though it treads familiar indie dramedy ground. The ending is the weakest element — it trails off rather than resolves, leaving Roger's arc feeling genuinely unearned and the emotional payoff thin even by low-key standards.